WASHINGTON -- The Senate has confirmed former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats for national intelligence director.
Senators voted 85-12 Wednesday to approve the nomination of Coats, making him the fifth person to hold the post created after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Coats replaces James Clapper, who retired at the end of the Obama administration.
As the Trump administration's top intelligence official, Coats will oversee 16 other intelligence agencies that have been harshly criticized at times by Trump president for past failures and their assessment that the Kremlin interfered in the election to help him win.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Coats will be an effective director and also would restore credibility to the U.S. intelligence community.
Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, who voted to confirm Coats, released this statement:
"Dan has stepped up to lead our intelligence community at a critical time. He is eminently qualified for this new role, and I trust he will remain clear-eyed about the threats facing our nation, including Russian attempts to undermine our democracy. I know that Dan will provide his best advice to the president and give our intelligence professional the leadership they need and deserve."
And from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb:
"Today, I was thrilled to see my friend and mentor Dan Coats confirmed as Director of National Intelligence. He is uniquely qualified and brings a wealth of experience, incredible wit and a strong dose of Hoosier common sense. Our nation will be well served, again, by his leadership."
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