Pompeo vows to raise State Department morale

Current CIA Director Mike Pompeo promised to raise morale at the State Department and make it central to the president’s policies and the country’s national security, if the Senate confirms him as the department’s new leader. President Donald Trump nominated Pompeo, a close ally, to the role in March after firing former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. During his Thursday confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Pompeo vowed to fill “demoralizing” vacancies left to languish during Tillerson’s tenure and asked for the Senate’s help to approve ambassador nominees. He also confirmed his interview with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. Pompeo declined to give any information about what he told Mueller, saying only that he “cooperated” with the investigation. Thursday’s hearing marked Pompeo’s second Senate confirmation grilling in the last 18 months. Lawmakers approved him as CIA director by a 66-32 vote in January 2017.