Senate Republicans plan to move quickly to consider the nomination of Rep. John Ratcliffe to succeed outgoing Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr on Monday said he talked to Ratcliffe Sunday to congratulate on President Trump’s decision to nominate him to the post.
Ratcliffe, a Republican from Texas, sits on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committee and is relatively unknown to senators.
“When the White House submits its official nomination to the Senate Intelligence Committee, we will work to move it swiftly through regular order,” Burr said. “In the meantime, I look forward to working with DNI’s Principal Deputy Director Sue Gordon, who has been a trusted partner to our Committee.”
Democrats have accused Trump of selecting Ratcliffe based on his loyalty to the president.
Burr praised Coats, a former senator representing Indiana.
“He has served this Administration with integrity and sound judgment, making significant progress in addressing the shortcomings that left us vulnerable to foreign interference in our elections,” the North Carolina Republican said. “He has also done a great deal to direct our attention toward growing aggression from Russia, China, and Iran, including testifying at our Committee’s annual Worldwide Threats hearing earlier this year.”
