The US Senate took a major step Monday toward confirming Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton as the country's top intelligence official, advancing President Donald Trump’s nominee in a procedural vote despite a contentious confirmation process. A definitive confirmation vote is anticipated within days.
Should he be confirmed as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Clayton will take charge of the nation's 18 intelligence agencies. The post was left open in June following the departure of Tulsi Gabbard, whose brief tenure drew fierce pushback from Capitol Hill Democrats who accused her of echoing disproven election theories and pushing a White House political agenda.
The DNI position was originally created by Congress after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to unify and direct the federal government's broad intelligence operations.
Monday's procedural vote concluded 51-43 strictly along party lines, with Senate Republicans uniting behind the nominee while the Democratic caucus stood in opposition. With a 53-47 majority in the chamber, Republicans maintain sufficient numbers to approve Clayton on their own even without Democratic backing.
Clayton’s nomination reached the Senate floor after a tight 9-8 approval vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee.