Senate Confirms Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence
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The Senate approved former SEC chair Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence in a 51-47 party-line vote, ending Bill Pulte's interim tenure.
The Senate voted 51-47 on Tuesday to confirm Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence, giving him oversight of 18 U.S. intelligence agencies and access to classified information. Clayton, who previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission and now serves as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, was nominated by President Donald Trump in June.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, > "Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this role is especially important. Jay Clayton fits this mold."
Clayton replaces Bill Pulte, who had been serving as acting director after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. Pulte, a Trump ally and head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, oversaw several senior intelligence layoffs during his brief tenure.
Clayton testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence earlier this month. During the hearing he declined to affirm that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election and defended subpoenas issued to New York Times journalists, which the Department of Justice later withdrew.
The confirmation may facilitate the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a foreign surveillance authority that expired in June after facing Democratic opposition linked to Pulte's interim appointment.