Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Senate panel backs Trump nominee Ratcliffe to be top U.S. spy

Published 05/19/2020, 10:48 AM
Updated 05/19/2020, 03:05 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee voted along party lines on Tuesday to back President Donald Trump's nomination of Republican Representative John Ratcliffe to be director of national intelligence.

The committee said the vote was 8-7, along partly lines, with Trump's fellow Republicans backing the nominee and committee Democrats opposed.

His confirmation vote in the full Senate is expected to be close. Trump's fellow Republicans hold a 53-to-47-seat majority and rarely break from the president, but Ratcliffe has not won over Democrats.

No floor vote has been scheduled. It could take place as soon as this week, depending on how soon Republican leaders determine whether they have the 51 votes needed for confirmation.

Trump first said he would nominate Ratcliffe, a member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, to be director of national intelligence last year. The nomination did not go forward amid questions about his lack of experience and partisan reputation, but the Republican president nominated him again this year.

Senator Marco Rubio, acting chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said he looked forward to voting for Ratcliffe's confirmation.

Separately, Rubio told reporters on Tuesday that he had received a waiver that allowed him to remain chairman of the Senate's Small Business Committee while temporarily leading the intelligence panel.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Monday that Rubio would serve as acting intelligence chairman after his fellow Republican, Senator Richard Burr, said he would step aside during a federal investigation of his stock trades.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington

Latest comments

Trump 2020 TrumpJr 2024 Owens 2032 first African American
stop spying on us my president
another no experience partisan...trump's modus operandi. how reassuring.
Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.