Thread: Senate confirms Pompeo as CIA director, Tillerson clears committee vote

Senate confirms Pompeo as CIA director, Tillerson clears committee vote

Published January 23, 2017 FoxNews.com


NOW PLAYINGSenate confirms Mike Pompeo as CIA director

The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's choice to head the Central Intelligence Agency Monday evening, while Trump's pick for secretary of state cleared his first hurdle en route to becoming America's top diplomat.

Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo was confirmed as CIA Director by a 66-32 vote, the closest of three Senate votes on Trump appointments. Thirty Democrats, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., opposed Pompeo, variously citing his positions on key issues like surveillance, torture and Russia's meddling in the 2016 election campaign.

The libertarian-leaning Paul told Fox News that he voted against Pompeo because of worries that Pompeo's "desire for security will trump his defense of liberty."

Pompeo will lead the CIA at a critical time for U.S. national security, when intelligence -- traditionally a nonpartisan issue -- has been thrust into the political arena. Trump has been critical of intelligence agencies' findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign with the goal of electing him over Hillary Clinton.

Earlier Monday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted along party lines to approve former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as President Trump’s secretary of state, setting up a full Senate vote as early as next week.

Tillerson was assured of enough votes to avoid an embarrassing defeat in committee after Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., decided to vote "yes" on Tillerson's nomination.

Rubio voted for Tillerson despite his concerns, and those of others on the committee, about Tillerson's past business ties with Russia.

“He has a proven record of running a large, complex company,” Rubio said before voting yes. “For me, this wasn’t simply a concern about Russia.”

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. the top Democrat on the committee, voted against Tillerson’s nomination.

“I believe Mr. Tillerson’s demonstrated business orientation and his responses to questions during the confirmation hearing could compromise his ability as secretary of state to forcefully promote the values and ideals that have defined our country and our leading role in the world for more than 200 years,” he said before the vote.

GOP Sens. John McCain, Arizona, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, had expressed concerns about Tillerson similar to those raised by Rubio. However, the senators said Sunday that they would support Tillerson in the final floor vote.

"Though we still have concerns about his past dealings with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, we believe that Mr. Tillerson can be an effective advocate for U.S. interests," they said in a joint statement.

Tillerson's nomination is expected to be approved by the full Senate since the Republicans have 52 senators in the chamber and 51 of them, a simple majority, are needed to vote “yes."

As CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson spoke out against U.S. sanctions levied on Moscow following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. The penalties cost the energy giant hundreds of millions of dollars.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...ttee-vote.html

Great news! Thank you JohnDoe2!!

JAN 23 2017, 9:21 PM ET

Mike Pompeo Sworn In as CIA Director After Senate Confirmation

by LEIGH ANN CALDWELL

The United States Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo to run the Central Intelligence Agency Monday night, giving President Donald Trump the third member of his cabinet.

Pompeo, a Republican congressman representing Kansas, was confirmed by a vote of 66-32 after Senate Democrats forced a three-day delay, arguing that the critical cabinet post deserved a thorough debate.

Pompeo was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence just after 9 p.m. ET. Pence told Pompeo, who was joined by his wife and son, that the members of the CIA give meaning to courage for putting their lives on the line and have the admiration of the president.


Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Republican from Kansas and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director nominee for President Donald Trump, in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 12. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg via Getty Images

"He's one of the most qualified people out there to serve in this role," said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma.

But three Democratic senators disagreed, holding up Pompeo's confirmation vote Friday, angering Republicans and Trump, who said it was unprecedented and dangerous for the CIA to operate without a permanent director. The previous CIA director, John Brennan, resigned when Trump was sworn in last Friday.

Related: Secretary of State Nominee Rex Tillerson Advances Out of Committee

Pompeo's views on government surveillance and torture were cited by Democrats as reasons to oppose him.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Pompeo proposed the reinstatement and the expansion of the government's collection of American citizens' communications. He also supported the National Security Agency's ability to include even more "metadata," or communications, such as financial data, purchases and more, in bulk collections.

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Pompeo Makes Promises on Interrogation Techniques, Intel Gathering 1:50


"I believe from the bottom of my heart that we can [protect Americans] without invading the privacy rights of the American people," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, who voted against Pompeo.

Additionally concerning to Democrats was Pompeo's openness to resuming the technique of waterboarding, a controversial tactic used by the George W. Bush administration after Sept. 11 and outlawed in the Army Field Manual, a document the intelligence community must follow. But in written testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Pompeo said he would ask the CIA if the Army Field Manual is an "impediment" to intelligence gathering.

Trump promoted the use of waterboarding during the presidential campaign and said he would support "much worse."

Even after a debate Monday, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said he couldn't support Pompeo.

"His record reveals extreme positions, including enthusiasm for sweeping new surveillance programs targeting Americans and an openness to sending our country backward with regard to torture," Wyden said in a statement. "Furthermore, his views on intelligence assessments on Russian interference in our election shifted along with the president's, raising questions about the nominee's objectivity."

Pompeo visited the CIA Saturday with Trump, who spoke to CIA employees. Trump praised the incoming director and criticized Democrats for the delay in Pompeo's confirmation vote.

"I met Mike Pompeo, and it was the only guy I met," Trump said of the interview process. "I didn't want to meet anybody else. I said, cancel everybody else. Cancel. Now, he was approved, essentially, but they're doing little political games with me."

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/cong...ad-cia-n711106

I'm really glad we have a CIA Director! I think Pompeo is very qualified and will do a great job!!

Congratulations Director Pompeo. I wish they would have confirmed you on Friday so you could have been Director of CIA on Saturday when Trump met with the CIA personnel at Langley. Maybe you can be at the next one, he said he's coming back to meet with the others.