Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said Sunday that former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, whom President-elect Trump has nominated to lead the U.S. intelligence community, has been dismissed due to “administrative issues” with the Office of Government Ethics. He said the hearing has been postponed (Hawaii).
In an interview on CBS News' “Face the Nation,” Margaret Brennan noted that Gabbard appears to be the only member of President Trump's national security team not scheduled for a hearing.
“Is it the FBI background checks that are holding things up or is it the ethics disclosures that are holding things up?” she asked.
“That's right,” Barrasso said. “It is currently a procedural matter with the Office of Government Ethics.”
“We were hoping to hold a public hearing later this week. It looks like it will be next week,” he added. “But she continues to rise through the ranks in the military. She is a lieutenant colonel. She now has top-level security clearance. She is the right person to keep America safe.”
The Hill has contacted the Office of Government Ethics for comment.
Barrasso also said he supported Gabbard's confirmation to key cabinet positions and said he was “not at all concerned” about Gabbard's confirmation.
“I support Tulsi Gabbard,” Barrasso said. “She's great in that she's a member of Congress, she's a veteran, she's a decorated veteran for serving under fire in Iraq.”
Gabbard represented Hawaii in the state legislature as a Democrat from 2013 to 2021, then left the party and recently registered as a Republican.
Her putative nomination has raised concerns among some lawmakers, pointing to her lack of experience in the intelligence field and, perhaps more importantly, her ties to America's adversaries.
She met with recently overthrown Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in 2017. The meeting came after Assad was accused of using chemical weapons against his own people. She is also a prominent defender of national security leaker Edward Snowden and has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric regarding the Ukraine war.
Senate Democrats have argued that the background checks, ethics disclosures and paperwork of a nominee whose overall qualifications have raised concerns are not yet fully prepared for Gabbard's confirmation hearing as director of national intelligence. They are requesting a postponement. The backlash appears to have led to a postponement of the hearing, which would normally be held before Trump takes office on January 20.
“We're going to claim these documents before we move forward,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). “So it's non-negotiable. Without it, you can't have 'advice and consent.'”
“Especially from a national security standpoint, it's important to have these documents. It may not be flashy, it may not be viral, but that happens to be how I feel.”
