Despite Democratic opposition, the Republican majority in the Senate on Thursday confirmed U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, as the new director of
Despite Democratic opposition, the Republican majority in the Senate on Thursday confirmed U. S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, as the new director of national intelligence, overseeing all 17 intelligence agencies.
With the 49-44 vote along party lines, Ratcliffe becomes the fourth person to hold the job in less than a year.
He takes over at a sensitive moment. U. S.-China tensions are rising over the coronavirus pandemic, and many in the national security community say they are certain that Russia again will attempt to interfere in the U. S. presidential election this fall.
Also, Democrats are increasingly critical of President Trump’s shake-ups in the national security arena, and some have accused him of politicizing work that’s supposed to be nonpartisan.
In Congress, Ratcliffe was an outspoken supporter of Trump and at times questioned the validity of the Russia investigation. He has served on the House Intelligence Committee since the beginning of 2019 but has far less experience than any previous director of national intelligence, a post created after the Sept.
