The Senate approved Burns’ nomination by verbal vote in plenary on Thursday. With his confirmation, Biden now has his full team of senior national security officials in place.
Biden chose Burns as director of the CIA in January, turning to a longtime diplomat who was deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration and held positions in the foreign service for more than three decades. He will become the first leader in the history of the CIA whose life experience comes from the State Department.
The nomination was never in doubt, but a quick confirmation in the Senate floor was initially blocked by Cruz, who suspended Burns’ nomination in an effort to pressure the Biden government over the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. Republicans, including Cruz, called on the government to issue sanctions to prevent the completion of the pipeline between Russia and Germany.
On Thursday, Cruz said he welcomed a new statement by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that “reinforces the international community that there is a bicameral, bipartisan and government-wide commitment in the United States to prevent Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.”
“In light of the secretary’s strong statement, I am fulfilling my commitment to suspend” the restrictions on Burns and Brian McKeon, Biden’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Cruz said in a statement. McKeon was also confirmed by unanimous consent on Thursday afternoon.
Blinken released a statement on Thursday that the government believes this is bad business and that the state “is evaluating information about entities that appear to be involved”.
“The Department reiterates its warning that any entity involved in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is at risk of US sanctions and should immediately abandon work on the pipeline,” said Blinken.
Biden chose Burns to be his CIA director over others with more intelligence experience because of his diplomatic experience, his expertise in Russia and his ability to restore credibility to the intelligence agency in the post-Trump era, people familiar with the matter said. of the subject. , along with his experience in Russia.
At his confirmation hearing last month, Burns emphasized that intelligence should not become political.
“This is exactly what President Biden expects from the CIA. It was the first thing he said to me when he asked me to assume that role,” he added. “He said he wants the agency to give it to him directly – and I promised to do just that, and to defend those who do the same.”
In the Trump administration, the CIA director held a cabinet position, but not in the Biden government. National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, who leads the United States intelligence community, is a member of the Biden Cabinet.
This story was updated with further developments on Thursday.
Ali Main, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler and Jeff Zeleny of CNN contributed to this report.