WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate is honoring the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community by designating July 26, 2016 as “United States Intelligence Professionals Day.” U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, who both serve on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, cosponsored the resolution that was unanimously approved by the Senate to acknowledge intelligence officers, past and present, for their service and professionalism in protecting the United States from those who wish to do us harm.

“As I’ve seen first-hand, the men and women of our Intelligence Community work every day to protect and defend this nation, and they do it behind the scenes with little fanfare or acclaim. We may never know their names, but we’re able to go about our everyday lives free from fear because of their work. And for that they deserve our enduring praise and gratitude,” Senator King said. “I’m proud the Senate joined together to pass this resolution thanking and paying tribute to those professionals, but I’m even prouder that we have people of such incredible bravery and character serving our nation.”

“Day in and day out, across our nation and around the world, the men and women serving in the Intelligence Community are hard at work, keeping our country and our citizens safe,” said Senator Collins.  “I am consistently impressed by the high level of professionalism, patriotism, and courage that our intelligence professionals exhibit.  I am pleased that the Senate unanimously approved this resolution to ensure that these Americans, who must operate in the shadows, receive well-deserved recognition for their public service.”

This resolution comes 69 years after President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, which laid the foundation for today’s intelligence community and continues to govern its activities.

The resolution to establish Intelligence Professionals Day was led by Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) and also co-sponsored by Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Vice Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-Cal.), and Committee members Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

The full text of the resolution is available here.

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