WASHINGTON – National Intelligence Design Director Tarshi Gabbard survived the Senator's procedural vote on Monday night and took a major step towards confirmation later this week.
The Senate voted 52-46 along the party line to end the debate over Gabbard's nomination, with Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) not voted.
Gabbard, 43, a former Democrat from Hawaii, is widely regarded as the least likely to clear the Senate thanks to past skepticism about the intelligence reporting community. .
She faced a combat hearing last month before the Senate Intelligence Email Committee, but managed to clear the panel last week despite harsh questions from members of both parties.
“The intelligence community needs to refocus on its core mission. It needs to gather intelligence and provide an unbiased analysis of that information,” Senate majority leader John Tune said. (R-SD) praised Gabbard as the “Patriot” in his statement on the floor before the vote.
“That's what we're working to ensure that she's confirmed to be DNI,” he added. “Tarsi knows that at this pivotal moment in American history, he is totally committed to protecting all Americans.”
Gabbard's critics have reported that the past defense of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, a 2017 visit with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and the Foreign Intelligence Report Surveillance Act (FISA) She suffers from past visits with past opposition to unsecured surveillance of suspects of overseas fear under sections. 702.
Most members of the Senate Intelligence Committee look at FISA Section 702. This allows the government to make non-US citizens living abroad at paramount importance to national security.
Rep. Gabbard had proposed a law to repeal Section 702, alleging that the accidental collection of American communications amounted to an unconstitutional violation of privacy.
Gabbard alleged that there was a heart change in FISA Section 702 last year, claiming that Congress addressed many of her concerns about power during the confirmation process.
“The national security capabilities provided by Section 702, which enables this foreign surveillance of non-Americans overseas, are important, and period is important,” Gabbard emphasized at an Intelligence Email Committee hearing. did.
Snowden had urged Gabbard on social media to denounce him on social media to ensure her confirmation. Gabbard refused to call Snowden a “traitor” when urged during the hearing, but he was working to pursue leaks and prevent another “snowden-like” leak.
Regarding Assad, Gabbard said during his meeting with the former Damascus dictator, “about the actions of his own regime, the use of chemical weapons, and the brutal tactics used against his own people.” He claimed he pushed it against him.
If she is confirmed later this week, Gabbard will oversee the government's 18 intelligence reporting agencies.
“For too long, false, inappropriate or weaponized intelligence has led to costly failures and weakening of our national security,” she said at the confirmation hearing. “One of the most obvious examples of these failures is the invasion of Iraq based on a complete failure of either full manufacturing or full intelligence.
“President Trump's reelection is a clear mission from the Americans to break this cycle of failure and end weaponization/politicization. [intelligence community]and will begin to restore confidence in those charged with the key challenge of securing our country. ”
