U.S. Senate panel backs Trump nominee Ratcliffe to be top U.S. spy
The US Senate endorsed the confirmation of John Ratcliffe to be the nation's top intelligence official in a straight party-line vote. The Republican congressman from Texas is now one step closer to serving as the country's next spy chief after he was approved for a full Senate confirmation vote.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 09:40 | 19 May 2020
- Modified Date: 09:40 | 19 May 2020
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.
Trump nominated Ratcliffe, a member of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, to be director of national intelligence last year. The nomination was dropped amid questions about his lack of experience and partisan reputation but the Republican president nominated him again this year.
- Almost 1.2 million U.S. patients could die from COVID-19 by 2021 - study
- Foreign minister of Turkey, Germany, France and UK hold virtual meeting
- Donald Trump tells Senate GOP to 'be tough' on Democrats
- Cooperation with Turkey is Libya's natural right: Senior official
- Turkish FM Çavuşoğlu slams UNSC for not coming up with a joint resolution on COVID-19 pandemic