Rep. John Ratcliffe confirmed as director of national intelligence

Andrew Harnik/AP/Shutterstock

Representative John Ratcliffe was confirmed by a party-line Senate vote to serve as director nation intelligence, ending a nine-month search for a head of the nation’s intelligence agencies.

Ratcliffe was confirmed as Trump’s second permanent director of national intelligence in a 49-44 Senate vote, having all Democrats oppose. The position was created after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Ratcliffe was initially picked by Trump last year to be the administration’s spy chief last June, but both parties opposed him at first and questioned his experience. To appeal to Congress, Ratcliffe said on his website he “put terrorists in prison.” However, NBC News reports that there is no evidence of his prosecution in a terrorist case.

Trump renominated the Texan representative earlier this year.

Ratcliffe will be in charge of which documents are released to congressional investigations into the Obama administration officials, as well as leading the United State’s response to Russia’s inference in elections and potential meddling in the 2020 election.