Senate confirms Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence

The Senate voted to verify Avril Haines to be Director of Nationwide Intelligence on Wednesday night, making her the primary of President Biden’s Cupboard nominees to be confirmed. Haines was accepted by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84 to 10.

The Senate adjourned for the night time after confirming Haines, and can reconvene at 12 p.m. on Thursday.

“Avril Haines was the fitting alternative for Director of Nationwide Intelligence. We respect the bipartisan cooperation to get her confirmed tonight, and we hope there will likely be much more of it as a result of the nation is in disaster and we’d like President Biden’s crew in place as rapidly as doable,” Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer mentioned in a press release.

Senator Mark Warner, the highest Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, mentioned in a speech on the Senate flooring forward of the vote that it was “applicable” that Haines can be the primary nominee confirmed by the Senate.

“I consider she is firmly dedicated to rebuilding the workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence,” Warner mentioned, an implicit rebuke of the workplace beneath former President Trump. He mentioned morale inside the intelligence neighborhood had been broken as officers had “seen lots of their leaders fired for merely doing the fitting factor: talking fact to energy.”

Republican Senator Tom Cotton had beforehand objected to holding the vote on Haines’ nomination rapidly, however introduced in a speech on the Senate flooring that he was lifting his objection.

“I used to be the final particular person to object to holding that vote. I now not object,” Cotton mentioned. He had initially objected to the vote as a result of he was unclear on whether or not Haines needed to reopen investigations into detention and interrogation packages from the early 2000s.

“She clarified within the personal setting that we had that she had no intention to open up these investigations and expose operations officers contained in the CIA to legal prosecution or adversarial employment motion, and even holding it towards them and potential future promotions or placements,” Cotton mentioned.

Senate committees started Tuesday to carry affirmation hearings for 5 of Mr. Biden’s picks simply earlier than his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Treasury secretary, Haines, nominee for director of nationwide intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominee for Protection secretary, Tony Blinken, nominee for secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominee for Homeland Safety secretary. There’s a listening to for Pete Buttigieg, nominee for Transportation secretary, scheduled for Thursday. Denis McDonough, the nominee for secretary of Veterans Affairs, will obtain a listening to subsequent week.

Federal businesses will likely be led by appearing officers till all of Mr. Biden’s nominees are confirmed.