Maine's U.S. senators questioned Tulsi Gabbard Thursday about her past efforts to excuse Edward Snowden from criminal charges for disclosing classified national intelligence information during a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's nominee to be the director of national intelligence.
Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, faces a narrow path to confirmation amid concerns on a number of issues.
Most Democrats and even some Republicans seemed uneasy with Tulsi Gabbard and her answers to their questions during her confirmation hearing with the Senate Intelligence Committee.
President Donald Trump's pick for Director of National Intelligence faced tough questions from Maine senators on Capitol Hill Thursday.
Gabbard was questioned by Republicans and Democrats alike on her views of Snowden and whether she believes he was a traitor. She declined to say she believed he was a traitor, repeating that she felt he had broken the law and reiterating a point that she has made in the past, that he exposed practices that have resulted in the reform of 702.
Sens. Susan Collins and Todd Young, who both serve on the Intelligence Committee, are among the Republicans who have yet to say whether they will support Tulsi Gabbard. Only one Republican would need to oppose her to block her nomination from being reported favorably to the full Senate,
President Trump’s choice to serve as the director of national intelligence faced tough questions from senators in both parties.
Republicans are cautioning that Tulsi Gabbard’s path to confirmation to lead the U.S. intelligence apparatus is narrowing as she seemingly has trouble winning over key GOP senators. Gabbard, along
Gabbard, a former congresswoman and an Army Reserve officer, faced challenging questions from senators on both sides of the aisle during her confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence.
"I know there’s been a lot of reporting that she’s changed her position. That’s not how I read her answers," Collins said of Tulsi Gabbard
Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are among Trump's more controversial nominees, and faced tough questions from senators Thursday.
Maine's Republican senator plans to question both during separate hearings scheduled for Thursday morning, and she is seen as a possible swing vote.