The Senate Intelligence Committee voted Tuesday to advance the nomination of Jay Clayton as the next Director of National Intelligence, sending the nomination to the full Senate for consideration.
President Donald Trump nominated Clayton, who was serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, for the role last month. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte is currently serving as acting DNI in the interim.
The Senate committee advanced Clayton's nomination by a 9-8 split in a closed-door meeting, according to The Hill.
"Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combatting a wide range of national security threats. I'm pleased that the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance his nomination to be Director of National Intelligence," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told reporters. "Once confirmed, I look forward to working with Mr. Clayton to keep Americans safe and continue reforming the Office of Director of National Intelligence."
It was not immediately clear when the full Senate would vote on Clayton's nomination, but Senate Republicans are hoping to confirm the nominee before they break for their August recess next month.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.