The Senate Intelligence Committee has advanced the nomination of Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, along party lines. The 9-8 vote came after some Democrats had praised Clayton and indicated that they might vote for him.

Controversy Over Election Comments

However, that shifted after a contentious hearing last week in which Clayton repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly disappointed” in Clayton.

Clayton told senators that he had no involvement with a speech by President Trump that again tried to cast doubts on the 2020 election and amplified debunked theories about Biden’s win. Clayton said repeatedly that the election was “certified” for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.

Next Steps

The committee’s approval sets up a floor vote on Clayton’s nomination, potentially early next week. Republicans want to quickly confirm Clayton to replace the interim director, Bill Pulte, who took over when Tulsi Gabbard resigned last month.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.