Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said Thursday that he is “worried” that not enough senators in his party will support Director of National Intelligence (DNI) nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation.
Hawley noted that some Republican colleagues have not expressed support for Gabbard, who has criticized the U.S. government for spending over $200 billion on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and accused the “power elite” of risking Americans’ lives on Ukraine’s behalf. Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have labeled Gabbard a Russian asset and a threat to national security.
“I have to tell you, I’m worried by what I hear from some of my Republican colleagues,” Hawley said. “I’m worried that her nomination may be in jeopardy, and I’m just worried what that will mean. It will mean that the reforms that we need in the intelligence space—let’s not just pretend everything is fine and dandy in the intelligence community. It’s not. Besides the fact that they have missed major, major issues and besides the fact that they led us on COVID for example for so long. We need reform to stop things like FISA Section 702, stop spying on Americans. I hope Tulsi gets confirmed because we need that kind of reform.”
During her Thursday confirmation hearing, Gabbard’s views on Edward Snowden and FISA Section 702 were key topics of questioning by senators on both sides of the aisle.
Gabbard faced scrutiny from some Republicans for introducing a resolution in 2020 calling for all charges to be dropped against former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden, who was wanted on espionage charges after exposing the NSA’s mass surveillance of Americans’ phones in 2013. While Gabbard agreed during her confirmation hearing that Snowden “broke the law,” she refused to classify him as a traitor.
The nominee expressed support for FISA Section 702, which has been criticized for allowing warrantless surveillance of Americans, but emphasized the need for civil liberties protections.
A handful of Republican senators have remained undecided on supporting Gabbard despite previously voting in favor of former President Joe Biden’s nominee, Avril Haines, for the same role. These senators include Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, John Curtis of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine.
Gabbard has also been a target of the intelligence community due to her skepticism of its surveillance efforts, specifically the NSA’s “mass surveillance program.” Whistleblowers disclosed that the TSA and Federal Air Marshals (FAM) placed Gabbard on a terror watchlist known as “Quiet Skies,” subjecting her to surveillance while she traveled. She has stated that searches at the airport would last up to 45 minutes due to this designation.
