Former senior government officials come out in support of Pompeo

A bipartisan group of former senior government officials expressed their support of CIA Director Mike PompeoMike PompeoPompeo calls for prosecution of Capitol rioters Biden to announce key State Department and national security posts: report Pro-democracy figures reportedly arrested in Hong Kong under sweeping national security law MORE for secretary of State in a letter Wednesday.

The letter, addressed to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob CorkerRobert (Bob) Phillips CorkerGOP lawmaker patience runs thin with Trump tactics Former GOP senator: Republicans cannot let Trump's 'reckless' post-election claims stand Cornyn: Relationships with Trump like 'women who get married and think they're going to change their spouse' MORE (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezYear-end deal creates American Latino, women's history museums Lawmakers call for including creation of Latino, women's history museums in year-end spending deal Trump offered 0 million to terrorism victims to save Sudan-Israel deal  MORE (D-N.J.), was signed by 30 national security experts. It comes a day ahead of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Thursday confirmation hearing for Pompeo.

Keith Alexander, the former director of the National Security Agency under President George W. Bush and President Obama; former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former chief counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jamil Jaffer and former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike RogersMichael (Mike) Dennis RogersCongress barrels toward veto clash with Trump Space Force expected to live on past Trump era Lawmakers call for Trump to take action on massive government hack MORE (R-Mich.) tout Pompeo's qualifications and express concerns about the current state of the department in the letter.

"Internally, the Department faces uncertainty about its place and its future with a hiring freeze, a pending reorganization, and a concern about its place in the national security process," they wrote.

"We all firmly believe the Department of State plays a crucial role in the national security process and that Director Pompeo is in a unique position to bring the Department back to a place where it can play its historically central role in this process," the letter continued.

The group said they think Pompeo could bring stability to the State Department, arguing he will work "diligently to restore the Department of State to its rightful place" if confirmed.

"When Director Pompeo arrived at CIA in January 2017, he faced an anxious workforce," the letter reads. "A major reorganization had just occurred at CIA and some of its personnel questioned what direction the new Director and the new President would take them. Director Pompeo quickly took the pulse of the building, determined what was working and what wasn’t and moved forward smartly."

While Pompeo coasted through the nomination process for his current post, receiving 66 votes in the upper chamber, his road to succeeding former Secretary of State Rex TillersonRex Wayne TillersonLawmakers express concern about lack of young people in federal workforce Making America dull again 'Gumbo Diplomacy' and the rise of Linda Thomas-Greenfield MORE is expected to be more difficult.

A number of Democrats who previously voted in favor of Pompeo, including Sens. Tim KaineTimothy (Tim) Michael Kaine7 surprise moments from a tumultuous year in politics Robert E. Lee statue removed from US Capitol Sen. Alexander plays Christmas carols in Senate office building MORE (D-Va.) and Jeanne ShaheenCynthia (Jeanne) Jeanne ShaheenBipartisan group of senators: The election is over Seven Senate races to watch in 2022 How Congress dismissed women's empowerment MORE (D-N.H.), have expressed concerns over his hawkish policy positions.