Senator Susan Collins of Maine announced Monday evening she would support Tulsi Gabbard to serve as the next director of national intelligence, a key endorsement from a swing-vote Republican for one of President Trump’s most divisive nominees.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on her nomination, congressional officials said Monday.
Ms. Collins was among a few Republicans on the Intelligence Committee who asked pointed questions during Ms. Gabbard’s confirmation hearing. Ms. Collins was one of three Republicans to vote against Pete Hegseth’s nomination to be defense secretary, and congressional observers were watching her closely.
Ms. Collins joined several senators in asking Ms. Gabbard about Edward Snowden, a former intelligence contractor who leaked classified information over a decade ago. In her statement Monday, Ms. Collins said Ms. Gabbard addressed her concerns about her previous statements and praised her vision of a smaller Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Ms. Collins was one of the authors of the legislation that established that office to serve a coordinating role across the spy agencies.
“The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size,” Ms. Collins said
With Democrats united against Ms. Gabbard, a single Republican vote against her would be enough to prevent her nomination from being approved by the committee and sent to the Senate floor. In that case, Senate John Thune, Republican of South Dakota and the majority leader, could still use procedural maneuvers to force Ms. Gabbard’s nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote. But should more than one Republican oppose her, the nomination would most likely die in the committee, congressional officials said.
Lawmakers from both parties had thought that Ms. Gabbard’s confirmation process would be the thorniest for any of President Trump’s cabinet picks, given her unorthodox views on Russia and Syria and her past service as a Democratic member of Congress. But allies of Ms. Gabbard said they were feeling confident that her nomination would be approved.
In addition to Ms. Collins’s endorsement, Ms. Gabbard appeared to secure crucial support on Sunday, with the intervention of Elon Musk.
In a post on social media, Mr. Musk called Senator Todd Young, Republican of Indiana and a member of the committee, a “deep state puppet.” Mr. Young was one of the Republicans at Ms. Gabbard’s hearing who had asked tough questions.
A short time later, Mr. Musk deleted the post, and wrote he had spoken to Mr. Young. “I stand corrected,” Mr. Musk wrote. “Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”
Allies of Ms. Gabbard said the posts, and the pivot by Mr. Musk, were a sign that Mr. Young was going to back her nomination. Congressional aides declined to comment on Mr. Young’s plans.
Ms. Gabbard faced tough questions lasts week about her support for Russia and the former government of Syria. But senators from both parties also zeroed in on her past support for Mr. Snowden and pressed her to proclaim him a traitor.
Ms. Gabbard would not do so, and said that while Mr. Snowden’s actions were illegal, he did make important disclosures of improper intelligence surveillance programs. She outlined steps she would take to help whistle-blowers securely report abuses.
In a guest essay in Newsweek on Sunday, Ms. Gabbard made the case for her confirmation, arguing Mr. Trump’s election was a mandate to reform intelligence agencies that she said had been “weaponized” against conservatives, and she pledged to work to produce unbiased intelligence.
“As the president’s principal intelligence adviser, I will begin with leading by example, checking my own views at the door and committing to delivering intelligence that is collected, analyzed, and reported without bias, prejudice or political influence,” she wrote.
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