Murkowski, Cassidy Announce They’ll Vote To Confirm Tulsi Gabbard As DNI
Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) have announced their support for Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as Director of National Intelligence.
On Monday, Murkowski, Cassidy, and fellow Republican senators advanced the nomination process by backing cloture, while Democratic senators opposed it.
“I will vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence,” Murkowski stated in a post on X.
“While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency, while still enabling the ODNI to continue its essential function in upholding national security. As she brings independent thinking and necessary oversight to her new role, I am counting on her to ensure the safety and civil liberties of American citizens remain rigorously protected,” she elaborated.
“President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard to be his point person on foreign intelligence,” Cassidy noted in a statement. “I will trust President Trump on this decision and vote for her confirmation.”
Gabbard served in Congress from early 2013 until early 2021. In 2022, she announced her departure from the Democratic Party.
Having endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential race, she officially became a Republican last year.
At the close of last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune introduced five additional Trump nominees for Senate consideration. However, confirming all of them within the week would require Senate Republicans to coordinate a schedule with their Democratic counterparts.
Among the most prioritized nominees for Senate Republicans are Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., both considered controversial picks for Trump’s Cabinet, according to Punchbowl News.
Initially perceived as the most at-risk nominee, Gabbard successfully overcame opposition from Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), allowing her nomination to proceed.
Gabbard’s confirmation vote is scheduled for late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, adhering to the required 30-hour waiting period post-cloture. It is unlikely that Democrats will agree to expedite this process.
Following Gabbard’s vote, the Senate will move forward with Kennedy’s confirmation for the role of Health and Human Services Secretary.
Kennedy secured the backing of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a former skeptic, in committee, and his confirmation appears imminent. While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, is expected to oppose Kennedy’s nomination, Cassidy’s support suggests there will not be four Republican defections.
On Thursday, Thune introduced three additional nominations: Brooke Rollins for Secretary of Agriculture, Howard Lutnick for Secretary of Commerce, and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) for Small Business Administrator. Their confirmation votes remain uncertain at this time.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is also preparing for notable confirmation proceedings this week.
On Thursday, the panel is set to vote on Kash Patel’s nomination to head the FBI.
Democrats utilized procedural rules to delay Patel’s nomination for one week.
“One by one, Republicans have acquiesced to Trump’s picks, even those whose personal history, lack of experience and unorthodox views would have once made them hardly imaginable for a Cabinet. It’s a striking demonstration of how GOP lawmakers are standing by as Trump, in a show of force, disrupts the federal government and installs loyalists to lead key departments. Republican leaders in the Senate, eager to show Trump their worth, have chalked up confirmations at a rapid clip,” the Associated Press reported.