The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday night, making her the first nominee from President Biden’s office to be confirmed. Haines passed an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84-10.
The Senate was suspended for the night after Haines’ confirmation, and will meet again at 12 noon on Thursday.
“Avril Haines was the right choice for Director of National Intelligence. We thank the bipartisan cooperation for it to be confirmed tonight and hope that there is much more, because the country is in crisis and we need President Biden’s team in place as soon as possible. “Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a speech to the Senate floor before the vote that it was “appropriate” for Haines to be the first Senate confirmed candidate.
“I believe she is firmly committed to rebuilding the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,” said Warner, an implicit rebuke to the post under former President Trump. He said that morale within the intelligence community was hurt because the authorities “saw many of their leaders being fired for simply doing the right thing: telling the truth to power.”
Republican Senator Tom Cotton had previously objected to holding the vote on Haines’s nomination quickly, but announced in a speech to the Senate floor that he was raising his objection.
“I was the last person to object to this vote. I have no more objections,” said Cotton. He initially opposed the vote because it was not clear whether Haines wanted to reopen investigations into the early 2000s detention and interrogation programs.
“She clarified in the private environment that we had no intention of opening these investigations and exposing operations officers within the CIA to criminal prosecutions or adverse employment actions, or even to accuse them of possible future promotions or placements,” Cotton said.
Senate committees began Tuesday to hold confirmation hearings for five of Biden’s choices shortly before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, appointed as Secretary of the Treasury, Haines, appointed as director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, appointed as Secretary of Defense, Tony Blinken, appointed as secretary of state, and Alejandro Mayorkas, appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security. There is a hearing for Pete Buttigieg, candidate for Transport Secretary, scheduled for Thursday. Denis McDonough, the nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.
Federal agencies will be led by acting employees until all of Mr. Biden’s nominees are confirmed.