Senate Democrats are delaying Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation hearing next week, citing her alleged failure to provide the necessary vetting materials, while Republicans accuse them of playing political games, according to Axios.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is resisting GOP requests to hold a hearing for Gabbard, whom President-elect Donald Trump picked to be his director of national intelligence, early next week, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
Warner has noted that the committee has not yet received Gabbard’s FBI background check, ethics disclosure, or pre-hearing questionnaire, according to a source familiar with the matter. Committee rules stipulate that the background check must be submitted a week before the hearing, Axios reported.
Republicans dispute that, however, saying that the onetime Hawaii Democrat-turned-Independent-turned-Republican cleared the background check process last week, a source working with her told the outlet. Also, the fact that she has an active security clearance means the vetting process will be completed more quickly.
“Gabbard submitted an initial pre-hearing questionnaire and intends to submit a second on time and was given a Thursday deadline, the source said,” Axios reported. “Another source familiar said the ethics disclosures have been delayed for multiple nominees due to the snow and other logistics but are expected to come through soon.”
But whatever the situation, without the proper materials or sign-off from Democrats, Gabbard’s hearing for the country’s most consequential national security position could be pushed off until late next week if not the week after, Axios reported.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) “intends to hold these hearings before Inauguration Day,” a spokesperson told Axios. “The Intelligence Committee, the nominees, and the transition are diligently working toward that goal,” he said, according to the outlet.
“After the terrorist attacks on New Year’s Eve and New Years Day, it’s sad to see Sen. Warner and Democrats playing politics with Americans’ safety and our national security,” Trump transition spokesperson Alexa Henning told Axios in a statement. Henning said that Gabbard is willing to meet with every member of the committee.
Committee rules hold that a confirmation hearing cannot be held until seven days after the panel receives “background questionnaire, financial disclosure statement, and responses to additional pre-hearing questions.”
That only gives Gabbard and her team a couple of days if the goal is to begin hearings on Cotton’s timeline.
“Cotton could bypass that rule with a majority vote of the panel. But it would be a rare step for a committee that has long prided itself on bipartisanship,” Axios noted further.
Late last month, William Webster, a Republican who is the only person to have led the FBI and CIA, penned a letter warning against confirming Kash Patel to head the FBI and Gabbard to be DNI.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity,“ Webster, 100, who worked in the Carter and Reagan administrations, said in the letter.
“Statements such as ‘He’s my intel guy’ and his record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” the letter continued.
But his issues with Gabbard, a former Democrat representative from Hawaii, were more about her lack of experience.
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations,” the centurian said. “Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished. … This is no time in world history for a novice in the field to learn this role.”
The Trump team responded to the concerns by dismissing them in a letter of their own.
“Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress, as someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” Henning said.
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