Tulsi Gabbard's Big Win: From Congress to National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, just got a big promotion. The Senate voted to make her the new director of national intelligence. This is a big deal because she was one of President Trump's most controversial picks. The vote was close, 52-48, with most senators voting along party lines. But, surprisingly, Republican leader Mitch McConnell voted against her. McConnell had some serious concerns about Gabbard. He thought she had made some questionable decisions in the past. He was worried that her past actions might affect how she does her job. He said, "The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment. " But not all Republicans agreed with McConnell. Some key senators, like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Todd Young, decided to support Gabbard. Murkowski even said that Gabbard brings "independent thinking and necessary oversight" to her new role. Senate Majority Leader John Thune also defended Gabbard. He liked that she promised to make the Office of the Director of National Intelligence more efficient. Gabbard's journey to this role hasn't been easy. She faced a lot of scrutiny, especially over her views on surveillance and some controversial meetings she had in Lebanon and Syria. She even refused to say whether she thought Edward Snowden's actions were traitorous. This made some senators doubt her. But Gabbard managed to win them over. She had some closed-door meetings with senators and seemed to reassure them. She also changed her stance on a key government surveillance authority, FISA Section 702, which she once wanted to dismantle. She said that reforms had been made to the law since her time in Congress. Gabbard's confirmation is a big turnaround. She was one of Trump's most divisive nominees. But now, she's the most markedly anti-surveillance official to lead the intelligence community in the post-9/11 era. This could mean big changes for how American intelligence agencies collect and use information.