The Senate voted on Wednesday evening to confirm Avril Haines as director of the national intelligence agency, making her the first of President Biden’s cabinet nominees to be confirmed. Haines was approved by a predominantly bipartisan vote of 84 to 10.
The Senate will be suspended overnight after confirming Haines, and will meet again Thursday at noon.
“Avril Haines was the right choice for Director of National Intelligence. We appreciate the two-pronged partnership to have her confirmed tonight, and we hope there will be many more as the country is in crisis and we have the team of President Biden as soon as possible, ”said Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, in a statement.
Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that it was “appropriate” for Haines to be the first Senate-confirmed candidate.
“I believe she is determined to rebuild the office of the Director of National Intelligence,” said Warner, an implicit rebuke to the office under former President Trump. He said morale had been tarnished within the intelligence community because officials had “seen many of their leaders fired for simply doing the right thing: speaking the truth to the power.”
Republican Senator Tom Cotton had previously objected to the quick vote on Haines’ nomination, but announced in a speech on the Senate floor that he was withdrawing his objection.
‘I was the last to object to keeping that voice. I have no objection anymore, ”Cotton said. He had initially objected to the vote because it was not clear to him whether Haines wanted to reopen investigations into detention and interrogation programs from the early 2000s.
“She clarified in the private setting that we had that she had no intention of opening those investigations and exposing operational officers within the CIA to criminal prosecution or unfavorable employment measures, or even holding them against and possible future promotions or placements,” Cotton said.
Senate committees began holding confirmation hearings for five of Mr. Biden’s picks on Tuesday just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominee for Minister of Finance, Haines, candidate for director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, candidate for Secretary of Defense, Tony blinked, candidate for Secretary of State, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominated for Secretary of Homeland Security. On Thursday there will be a hearing for Pete Buttigieg, nominee for Transport Secretary. Denis McDonough, the Veterans Secretary nominee, will be heard next week.
Federal agencies is led by acting officials until all of Mr. Biden’s nominees are confirmed.