WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Intelligence Committee voted 9-8 on Tuesday to advance Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), moving the former congresswoman one step closer to confirmation as the nation’s top intelligence official.
The committee’s vote clears the way for a full Senate decision, where Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee, may face additional hurdles. While the Republican-controlled committee backed her, some GOP senators had expressed concerns over her past positions on whistleblower Edward Snowden and U.S. surveillance programs.
During her confirmation hearing last week, Gabbard walked back previous calls for Snowden’s pardon, stating she would not seek clemency for the former NSA contractor. She also softened her stance on the government’s surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), describing them as “an important tool.”
Republican Senators Susan Collins (Maine) and Todd Young (Indiana), initially considered potential “no” votes, ultimately backed Gabbard after receiving assurances about her national security commitments.
As DNI, Gabbard would oversee 18 intelligence agencies and manage a budget of roughly $100 billion. A former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who later backed Trump, she has been criticized for past statements on U.S. foreign policy, including her skepticism of intelligence assessments on Syria and NATO’s role in the Ukraine conflict.
Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, defended herself against accusations of being sympathetic to U.S. adversaries, asserting, “I am no one’s puppet.”
With the committee vote secured, Gabbard’s confirmation will now hinge on the full Senate, where she can afford to lose up to three Republican votes if no Democrats support her nomination.
