The US Senate is due to begin voting as early as Monday on the nomination of Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence.
Confirmation Process
Clayton’s confirmation process has been dogged by controversy, including a tense confirmation hearing where he refused to directly acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.
The Senate Intelligence Committee recommended Clayton to the full Senate in a narrow 9-8 vote on Tuesday, with only Republican members voting in favor.
Clayton also faced questioning from Democrats about his decision to issue subpoenas ordering New York Times journalists to testify before a federal grand jury after reporting on security concerns involving Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One plane.
Expected Outcome
Trump’s Republicans, who have a 53-47 majority in the chamber, are expected to provide Clayton with enough votes for confirmation even if Democrats balk.
If Clayton wins a majority in the 100-member Senate on the procedural vote, a final confirmation vote is expected later in the week.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
