U.S. Senate confirms Burns to be CIA director

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed veteran diplomat William Burns to become President Joe Biden's Central Intelligence Agency director.

In a show of bipartisanship unusual in the bitterly divided chamber, the Senate backed Burns by unanimous voice vote, without objection, to approve Burns, a former ambassador to Russia and former deputy secretary of state, to lead the agency.

Burns, 64, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, becomes the first career diplomat to lead the CIA. He had already been confirmed by the Senate five times for his stints as ambassador to Jordan and Russia and three senior State Department positions.

During his unusually amicable Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing in February, Burns outlined his four top priorities - "people, partnerships, China and technology" - if he won Senate backing.

He called China "a formidable, authoritarian adversary," that is strengthening its ability to steal intellectual property, repress its people, expand its reach and build influence within the United States.

Competition with China is a top priority for the Biden administration - and for members of Congress, who want a tough line toward Beijing.

The panel also backed Burns' nomination unanimously.

Burns was able to be confirmed by unanimous voice vote only after Republican Senator Ted Cruz lifted his objection to doing so. Cruz had delayed the nomination to put pressure the Biden administration to take stronger action over the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to take Russian natural gas to Europe.

The Senate also confirmed by voice vote on Thursday one of Biden's long-time foreign policy advisers, Brian McKeon, to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.