Senate committee advances Clayton's nomination for intelligence chief

Washington — The Senate Intelligence Committee precocious Jay Clayton's information for manager of nationalist quality connected Tuesday, contempt absorption from Democrats pursuing his confirmation proceeding earlier this month.

In a 9 to 8 vote, the committee voted on enactment lines to beforehand Clayton's information to the floor, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the committee chairman, announced Tuesday.

"Jay Clayton is simply a highly qualified nominee with a heavy acquisition combatting a wide scope of nationalist information threats," Cotton said successful a statement. "I'm pleased that the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to beforehand his information to beryllium Director of National Intelligence."

President Trump nominated Clayton, the erstwhile U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, past month. And though immoderate Democrats had initially praised the nomination, which came arsenic a much arguable prime was acceptable to instrumentality implicit the bureau arsenic acting manager of nationalist intelligence, their enactment appeared to wane pursuing Clayton's confirmation hearing.

At the hearing, Democrats repeatedly asked Clayton astir the results of the 2020 election. And though helium acknowledged that erstwhile President Joe Biden was certified arsenic president and said helium is "not an predetermination denier," Clayton evaded questions astir who won the 2020 contest. 

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the committee's vice president who had initially said helium hoped to get Clayton confirmed "as rapidly arsenic possible," said Sunday that helium would ballot against Clayton's nomination. 

"I've known Jay for a agelong time. I similar Jay. I worked good with him erstwhile helium was astatine the SEC. But I was bitterly disappointed by his show successful beforehand of my committee," Warner said connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."

But Democrats person besides acknowledged the hard presumption they're in, with erstwhile lodging authoritative Bill Pulte serving arsenic the acting quality main since Tulsi Gabbard's departure past month. 

Pulte has nary nationalist information inheritance and came to prominence aft accusing respective of the president's governmental foes of owe fraud. Mr. Trump's enactment of him prompted Democrats to locomotion distant from a woody to reauthorize a warrantless surveillance authorization known arsenic Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It expired connected June 12. 

Shortly earlier the expiration, the president announced that helium was nominating Clayton arsenic manager of nationalist intelligence. And Senate Republicans moved to rapidly corroborate him to interruption the logjam connected the surveillance program. But days later, Mr. Trump abruptly pushed the Senate to cancel plans to determination forward with Clayton's information erstwhile it became wide that it could forestall Pulte from temporarily taking the helm. 

Despite Democrats' absorption connected the committee, Clayton is expected to beryllium confirmed fixed the Republican bulk successful the Senate. Warner said with Pulte presently successful the role, "we're a small rock-in-a-hard-place here," though helium acknowledged that Clayton "will astir apt get confirmed." The Virginia Democrat added, "I anticipation we spot the Jay Clayton that I person known and person worked with."

"The 1 happening I besides cognize is, the implicit catastrophe we person close present with the acting DNI, Bill Pulte, who has nary quality experience, who has thing but loyalty to Trump," Warner said.