Senate confirms Clayton as intel chief after delays

Senate confirms Clayton as intel chief after delays

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Jay Clayton as the next director of national intelligence, capping a turbulent process where his nomination was delayed after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his initial confirmation hearing.

Senators voted 51-47 to confirm Clayton, currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, along party lines.

He will assume leadership of an organization that is meant to oversee and coordinate the country’s nearly 20 intelligence agencies but has undergone several rounds of sweeping cuts by its controversial interim chief.

Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Bill Pulte — a fervent Trump loyalist with no military or intelligence experience who was tapped last month to temporarily helm the U.S. clandestine community — announced on social media a fresh 30 percent cut to personnel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

While the number of ODNI staff is classified, the reductions, coupled with a 40 percent cut claimed by former DNI Tulsi Gabbard, most likely leaves the organization with fewer than 1,000 personnel.

Republicans in Congress have welcomed the changes, arguing lawmakers designed ODNI to be a lean organization when it was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Clayton, who chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission during the first Trump administration, initially drew some bipartisan praise because of his government service and reputation as a lawyer, but his confirmation process became increasingly contentious.

During his confirmation hearing, Democrats sharply criticized his repeated refusal to state that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, arguing that Clayton’s answers raised questions about his willingness to resist political pressure as the nation's top intelligence official.

Clayton also faced scrutiny over subpoenas issued to journalists during his tenure In Manhattan and was pressed on how he would safeguard the intelligence community's independence.

Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee narrowly approved Clayton’s nomination last week, also in a party line vote.

Clayton takes the reins as the U.S. is in a global race with China over artificial intelligence and the prospect of foreign interference in the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Congress has let a major spy tool, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, lapse. Described by many national security officials as one of the “crown jewels” of intelligence gathering, the program expired after Democrats objected to Pulte’s appointment.

In addition, the country’s war with Iran is also entering its sixth month, which has put a fiscal strain on the spy community.

Speaking on the Senate floor before the vote, Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) said Clayton “pledged” to work with the panel to “secure the essential funding the intelligence community needs.”

“Based on the shortcomings that my committee staff has identified, I project that any supplemental appropriations bill or reconciliation bill must include around $40 billion for our intelligence agencies,” he added, referring to special budget process that bypasses the 60-vote filibuster, allowing the Senate to pass spending bills with a simple majority of 51 votes.

Sen. Mark R. Warner (VA), the top Democrat on the Intelligence panel, said that while he was “encouraged” when Clayton was first nominated, he came away from the confirmation process with “serious reservations about whether he would be willing to stand up to political pressure when it matters most.”

“Now that he has been confirmed, I sincerely hope he proves those concerns unfounded, because the intelligence community deserves steadier leadership than it has received in recent months.”