On Wednesday evening, the Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as director of National Intelligence, making her the first of President Biden’s cabinet candidates to be confirmed. Haines was approved by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84-10.
The Senate adjourned at night after confirming Haines and will meet again Thursday at 12 p.m.
“April Haines was the right choice for the director of National Intelligence. We are grateful for the bipartisan cooperation to confirm it tonight and we hope there is much more because the nation is in crisis and we need President Biden’s team 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 on the Senate floor before the vote that it was “appropriate” for Haines to be the first Senate-confirmed candidate.
“I think she’s firmly committed to rebuilding the office of the director of National Intelligence,” said Warner, an implicit reprimand in office under former President Trump. He said the morale of the intelligence community had deteriorated, as officials “had seen many of their leaders fired for simply doing the right thing: telling the truth to power.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton had previously opposed holding the vote on Haines’ nomination quickly, but announced in a speech on the Senate floor that he was raising his objection.
“I was the last person to oppose holding that vote. I no longer oppose it,” Cotton said. He had initially opposed the vote because it was unclear whether Haines wanted to reopen investigations into detention and interrogation programs since the early 2000s.
“He clarified in the private sphere that we had no intention of opening such investigations and exposing CIA operations agents to criminal proceedings or adverse labor actions, or even holding them against them and possible future promotions or placements, ”Cotton said.
Senate committees began holding confirmation hearings for five of Biden’s selections on Tuesday just before his inauguration: Janet Yellen, nominated to the Secretary of the Treasury, Haines, appointed to the director of national intelligence, Lloyd Austin, nominated for Secretary of Defense, Tony Parpellejant, appointed to the Secretary of State, and Alejandro Mayorkas, nominated to the secretariat of National Security. There is a hearing for Pete Buttigieg, nominated for the Secretary of Transport, scheduled for Thursday. Denis McDonough, the candidate for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will receive a hearing next week.
Federal agencies will be headed by incumbent officials until all of Mr. Biden’s nominees are confirmed.