US Senate confirms Avril Haines as intelligence chief

The US Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Avril Haines as director of national intelligence.

Haines, who will be the first woman to lead the US intelligence community, was confirmed in a vote of 84-10.

She became President Joe Biden's first Cabinet official to be approved hours after he was sworn into office.

"ODNI is excited to welcome Avril Haines as our nation's seventh Director of National Intelligence," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said on Twitter.

"I am confident Avril Haines will serve honorably as Director of National Intelligence. Given the critical importance of this role, it's appropriate that she has become the first member of the Biden admin to be confirmed by the Senate in a bipartisan vote," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said in a tweet.

Haines is replacing John Ratcliffe, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives representing Texas.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hailed the confirmation, saying in a statement: "We appreciate the bipartisan cooperation to get her confirmed tonight, and we hope there will be a lot more of it because the nation is in crisis."