Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed by the Senate to the position of director of national intelligence.
Gabbard was confirmed in a 52–48 vote on Feb. 12 and will move immediately to assume her responsibilities in the nation’s top intelligence role.
The confirmation follows a contentious few weeks of debate over Gabbard’s qualifications and judgment, in which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle questioned her ability to lead the intelligence community before voting along party lines.
Leading intelligence Democrats voted against Gabbard’s nomination, saying that the former congresswoman’s history of speaking favorably of hostile foreign powers raised questions about her ability to discern key intelligence matters….