Tulsi Gabbard Moves One Step Closer To Senate Confirmation

The Senate voted to advance former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to serve as President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during a procedural vote Monday evening.

Senators voted 52 to 45 to advance Gabbard’s nomination with every Senate Republican who voted choosing to limit debate on her nomination. Gabbard is set to become Trump’s 14th cabinet nominee to be confirmed.

Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Curtis of Utah, seen as key swing votes on Gabbard’s nomination, voted “yes” during the cloture vote. Murkowski endorsed Gabbard’s nomination following the procedural vote. McConnell and Curtis have thus far not commented on whether they will support Gabbard’s nomination on final passage.

Gabbard’s nomination previously faced uncertain prospects following heated exchanges with several GOP senators about her views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Gabbard also overcame attacks from Senate Democrats and smears from corporate media attempting to call Gabbard’s loyalty to the United States into question despite the lieutenant colonel’s two decades of military service.

The former Hawaii congresswoman secured the support of key senators who sit on the Intel panel following her confirmation hearing, which put Gabbard’s nomination on a clear path to securing Senate confirmation.

The Senate Intelligence Committee cleared Gabbard’s nomination along party lines 9-8 on Feb. 4.

Senate Republicans welcomed Gabbard committing to support government surveillance powers she previously opposed and prosecuting leakers of classified documents during her tenure as Trump’s DNI.

“I was also very pleased to hear Ms. Gabbard say at her hearing that section 702 is, and I quote, ‘essential for our national security,’” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on the Senate floor Monday afternoon. “This foreign intelligence collection program is a key tool used to identify threats to Americans at home and abroad, and I was glad to hear Ms. Gabbard acknowledge its importance.”

“I was also pleased that Ms. Gabbard intends to prosecute leakers to the full extent of the law,” Thune said. “In a day and age when anything and everything ends up on the internet, it is essential that we have zero tolerance for those who deliberately compromise classified information, and we must safeguard our sensitive sources and intelligence collection methods.”

Senate Democrats have not commented on whether they will agree to a time agreement to expedite Gabbard’s confirmation vote. Her vote will likely be scheduled for late Tuesday or early Wednesday absent a time agreement.