Categories: Politics

Tulsi Gabbard confirmation vote set for Wednesday after snowstorm thwarts midnight session

President Donald Trump is on the cusp of seeing his 14th Cabinet member confirmed in former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. 

Gabbard is slated for a final Senate confirmation vote to be Trump’s director of national intelligence (DNI) on Wednesday morning, after the planned midnight vote was scrapped due to a snowstorm in Washington, D.C.

The 30 hours of post-cloture debate officially expires on her nomination just after midnight. 

Frequently, the debate between the cloture motion and the final vote is minimized in what’s referred to as a “time agreement” between Republicans and Democrats. But with the controversial nature of Gabbard’s nomination and ongoing frustrations with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its government audit, no such agreement is expected. 

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Gabbard is expected to be confirmed. (Getty Images)

Gabbard is expected to be confirmed and has already amassed support from hesitant Republicans who voted against Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, requiring Vice President JD Vance to break the tie in the upper chamber. 

Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who are often considered the conference’s moderate members, have both already come out in support of Gabbard. Both lawmakers voted against confirming Hegseth. 

LORI CHAVEZ-DEREMER: THE LITTLE-KNOWN TRUMP NOMINEE WHO MAY NEED TO RELY ON DEMS

Murkowski said she would back Gabbard after opposing Hegseth. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for JDRF)

Collins is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and voted in favor of the nomination, helping advance it to the full Senate floor. 

Gabbard also snagged the backing of key Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Todd Young, R-Ind., despite the latter being uncertain before the committee vote. 

TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Sen. Young came out in support of Gabbard hours before the committee vote. (Reuters)

Young is also on the Intel Committee and ultimately voted to advance her to the floor, but only after some prodding and discussions with Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vance, who operated rigorous operations to ensure the nomination got through. 

SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT

Tulsi Gabbard, nominee for director of national intelligence, and Edward Snowden (AP/Getty)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Some concerns that followed Gabbard through her confirmation hearing were her past meeting with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, her previous FISA Section 702 stance and her past support for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

But these worries were apparently quelled by her answers and the persuasive support of both Cotton and Vance.

Share

Recent Posts

Missing American college student seen in new hotel security footage before disappearance

close Video Missing American college student Sudiksha Konanki seen in hotel security camera video before…

2 minutes ago

USPS worker convicted of stealing $1.6 million in checks, then spending it on luxury hotels, gentlemen’s clubs

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for March 17 Fox News Flash top headlines…

2 minutes ago

Fani Willis ordered to pay $54K for violating open records laws in Trump case

close Video Fani Willis was 'terrified' because her case against Trump was 'weak,' attorney says…

2 minutes ago

Missing American in Dominican Republic: Key witness asks court to end de facto house arrest

close Video Ted Williams says investigators ‘cannot rule anything out’ in search for missing college…

2 minutes ago

Trump says he’ll speak with Putin in call to push for truce in Ukraine

President Donald Trump said he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about…

12 minutes ago

Delta plane wing clips runway during botched landing at LaGuardia Airport

close Video New video shows moment Delta plane crash-landed, flipped over in Toronto The 'Outnumbered'…

2 hours ago