Senate clears way for Trump's top spy as key anti-terror program remains in limbo

By Fox News · Fox News

President Donald Trump’s pick to run the nation’s intelligence agencies is one step closer to clinching the job, and puts the Senate ever-closer to jump-starting a key counter-terrorism tool in the process. The Senate advanced Jay Clayton through a key hurdle Monday night to be the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI). It comes after former DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden exit from the position to care for her cancer-stricken husband. The largely partisan 51-43 vote to move Clayton, who formerly chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during Trump’s first term, comes after he narrowly squeaked out the Senate Intelligence Committee on a 9 to 8 vote. TRUMP'S DNI PICK CLEARS KEY HURDLE, REVIVING PATH FOR NATION'S TOP ANTI-TERROR SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., challenged Democrats to support Clayton during the broader, final vote, but expected them to resist as they have with several other Trump nominees through his second term. "One might think that we'd be seeing some bipartisanship from Democrats on this nominee," Thune said. "But Democrats are playing the same partisan games with this qualified nominee as they have for so many of President Trump's picks." "It's a funny thing because Democrats have made no secret of their disdain for the current acting Director of … National intelligence," he continued. "In fact, Democrats were so worked up over the president's temporary choice for this position, they allowed our nation's most important counterterrorism tool to go dark for the first time ever." TRUMP CONCESSION BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO STALLED FISA SPY POWERS DEAL The Senate will now vote on confirmation Tuesday, putting an end cap on an arduous process to replace Gabbard. When she announced her exit from the position, Trump hastily installed Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to lead the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies in the interim. That came as the Senate was nearing a vote on a bipartisan d…