Senate confirms Haspel as CIA director

The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the CIA Thursday afternoon on a 54-45 vote. Six Democrats crossed party lines to confirm Gina Haspel, who becomes the first female director in the agency’s history, while two Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jeff Flake of Arizona, voted no. Sen. John McCain was absent. Haspel’s nomination process was not without controversy. Opponents, including leaders at several human rights groups, cited her involvement in a former CIA program that used harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, on terror suspects after 9/11. Haspel’s supporters cited her 33-year CIA career and said she had earned the opportunity to lead the agency.