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JUST IN: GOP Holdout Will Vote To Confirm Tulsi Gabbard

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Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a pivotal Republican swing vote, announced Monday that she will support Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), bolstering the former congresswoman’s path to confirmation.

Collins’s decision places additional pressure on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is scheduled to meet Tuesday to consider advancing Gabbard’s nomination to the full Senate. With all 50 other Republicans expected to vote in favor, Collins’s backing removes a key hurdle for President Donald Trump’s nominee to take charge of the nation’s intelligence apparatus.

“After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence,” Collins said in a statement. “As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community.”

“The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”

Collins finished, “In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security.”

Susan Collins (R-ME)

Gabbard’s nomination is currently under consideration by the Senate Intelligence Committee. A vote is scheduled for Tuesday to determine whether her nomination will proceed to the full Senate. The committee comprises nine Republicans and eight Democrats.

A former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and 2020 presidential candidate, Gabbard has been a polarizing figure in national politics. Her nomination by Trump earlier in November came as somewhat as a surprise given her history of breaking with Democratic leadership on issues related to foreign policy and intelligence oversight.

With Collins’s endorsement, the path to confirmation appears clear for Gabbard, pending final procedural steps. Gabbard has been considered the most vulnerable among Trump’s cabinet selections.

During her confirmation hearing on January 30, Gabbard faced rigorous questioning from both Republican and Democratic senators. Topics included her past interactions with foreign leaders, and her views on whistleblower Edward Snowden.

“The American people elected Donald Trump not once but twice, and yet the American intelligence agencies were politicized by his opponents to undermine his presidency and falsely portray him as a puppet of Vladimir Putin,” Gabbard said before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week.

WATCH:

She accused intelligence agencies of misusing their authority, pointing to the FBI’s abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to spy on Trump campaign aide Carter Page, based on a dossier funded by Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Special Counsel John Durham later found no evidence linking Trump’s campaign to Russian operatives.

Gabbard also blamed former Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken for organizing a 2020 letter from 51 intelligence officials dismissing Hunter Biden’s laptop as “Russian disinformation,” saying it was done “specifically to help Biden win the election.” She argued these abuses predated Trump, citing former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s false 2013 testimony denying warrantless surveillance of Americans. She also accused former CIA Director John Brennan of spying on Congress and lying about it.

“Sadly, there are more examples,” she said. “The bottom line is this: This must end.”