Senate Confirms John Ratcliffe
The GOP-led Senate took another significant step in shaping President Donald Trump’s second-term Cabinet on Thursday, confirming John Ratcliffe as the new CIA director. The final vote stood at 74-25, with notable bipartisan support for Ratcliffe’s nomination.
His confirmation comes on the heels of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s unanimous approval earlier this week. The vote required a simple majority, but Ratcliffe’s nomination managed to secure backing from several Democrats as well, reflecting a shared confidence in his qualifications despite lingering partisan divides.
Ratcliffe, a former House Republican from Texas, is no stranger to the intelligence community. Having served as the director of national intelligence toward the end of Trump’s first term, Ratcliffe gained prominence for his outspoken defense of the intelligence community and his willingness to push back against misinformation.
During his confirmation hearing last week, he highlighted his track record of “speaking truth to power,” citing his vocal opposition to efforts to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. Ratcliffe recounted how he publicly refuted claims that the laptop was part of a Russian intelligence operation, standing firm even as 51 former intelligence officials lent their weight to those allegations.
The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced Ratcliffe’s nomination with a 14-3 bipartisan vote, clearing the way for Thursday’s confirmation. However, his path to approval was not without obstacles.
Earlier in the week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) objected to a proposed time agreement that would have expedited Ratcliffe’s final vote. Murphy argued for a “full” debate, citing concerns about whether Ratcliffe could maintain independence from President Trump’s political interests.
Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) dismissed these objections as stalling tactics, accusing Democrats of playing procedural games to delay Trump’s Cabinet confirmations.
This pattern of resistance has become a flashpoint in the Senate as GOP leadership works to confirm the president’s nominees swiftly. Next on the docket is Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary, with a vote anticipated as early as Friday. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, nominated for Secretary of Homeland Security, may also see a final vote over the weekend.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has made it clear that Republicans are prepared to work overtime to push these confirmations through, signaling no tolerance for delays. “Nights. Weekends. Recesses,” Thune declared, emphasizing the GOP’s determination to fulfill the president’s agenda.