WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies on Tuesday; this new development may be what was needed to reinstate a key surveillance authority that lapsed for more than six weeks.
In a 51-47 vote to move forward with Clayton as the director of National Intelligence, he will replace Bill Pulte, a controversial member of the Trump administration with no intelligence experience prior to the role.
Pulte’s temporary appointment led Democrats to walk away from a bipartisan deal to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
“I hope this will encourage my colleagues to stop blocking reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said on Monday.