Senate Intelligence Committee Greenlights Ratcliffe as CIA Director, Calls for Rapid Senate Vote
The select committee cast a vote of 14-3 during a private hearing on January 20 to recommend that the Senate hold a full vote to confirm Ratcliffe.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has taken a significant step forward in advancing John Ratcliffe’s nomination as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The committee voted 14–3 in a closed session on January 20 to advise the Senate to conduct a full vote for Ratcliffe’s confirmation.
If confirmed, Ratcliffe would be the second individual appointed by President Donald Trump to receive Senate confirmation, following Marco Rubio’s unanimous approval as Secretary of State in a 99–0 vote on January 20.
Committee chair Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and vice chair Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) urged the Senate to expedite Ratcliffe’s nomination after receiving committee approval.
“Given the dangerous state of our world, delaying the appointment of a Senate-confirmed leader for the CIA is not an option. We strongly encourage swift consideration of this vital nomination,” the lawmakers stated in a press release shared with The Epoch Times.
Ratcliffe has previously held the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) during the first Trump administration and has also served as a U.S. House representative from Texas. While in Congress, he was an active member of both the House Intelligence Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.
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Following his tenure as DNI, Ratcliffe has consistently supported Trump, particularly during the indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the spring of 2023.
During a confirmation hearing before the intelligence committee last week, Ratcliffe stated that he would adopt “the ultimate meritocracy” throughout the agency, aiming to eliminate what he perceives as a “politically motivated, bureaucratically imposed social justice agenda” that detracts from the agency’s core functions.
“I will unapologetically empower the most talented, hardest working, and most courageous risk-takers and innovators to protect the American people and promote America’s interests. I will not tolerate any distractions from our mission,” Ratcliffe declared.
He also emphasized the importance of prioritizing intelligence collection and the development of an offensive cyber strategy targeting adversaries like communist China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
Following Ratcliffe’s committee approval, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee swiftly moved to advance two additional Trump nominees: Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and Russ Vought for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Noem’s nomination was advanced with a vote of 13–2, while Vought’s was passed by a narrow margin of 8–7.
