US Senate okays Ratcliffe to lead CIA, advances Hegseth as defence chief

The US Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, Donald Trump's nominee to lead America's premier spy agency and his second nominee to win Senate approval, while advancing US president's Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth.

Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA.

The Texas Republican is a former federal prosecutor who emerged as a fierce Trump defender while serving as a congressman during Trump's first impeachment.

Thursday's vote was 74-25, with many Democrats voting no.

At his Senate hearing last week, Ratcliffe said the CIA must do better when it comes to using technology such as artificial intelligence to confront Russia and China. He said the United States needed to improve its intelligence capabilities while also ensuring the protection of Americans' civil rights.

Ratcliffe said he would push the CIA to do more to harness technologies such as AI and quantum computing while expanding use of human intelligence collection.

"We're not where we're supposed to be," Ratcliffe told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Calls for a broad overhaul

While some Democrats raised questions about Ratcliffe's ability to lead the CIA objectively, Republicans hailed his experience and said they looked forward to confirming the rest of Trump's national security nominees.

Ratcliffe was sworn into office shortly after winning Senate confirmation.

Marco Rubio was confirmed earlier this week as secretary of state, the first member of Trump's Cabinet.

The CIA director has not always been a part of a president's Cabinet, though ex-President Joe Biden elevated the position to Cabinet level under Ratcliffe's predecessor, William Burns, and Trump's White House lists Ratcliffe as a Cabinet member.

Trump and other Republicans have criticised the work of the CIA and other spy agencies, saying they have focused too much on climate change, workforce diversity and other issues.

The calls for a broad overhaul have worried some current and former intelligence officials who say the changes could make the country less safe.

Ratcliffe has said he views China as America's greatest geopolitical rival, and that Russia, Iran, North Korea and drug cartels, hacking gangs and terrorist organisations also pose challenges to national security.

He supports the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a government spying programme that allows authorities to collect without warrant the communications of non-Americans outside the country.

If those people are communicating with Americans, those conversations can be swept up, too, which has led to questions about violations of personal rights.

As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe oversaw and coordinated the work of more than a dozen spy agencies. Among other duties, the office directs efforts to detect and counter foreign efforts to influence US politics.

Concerns raised by Democrats earlier in the week forced the Senate to postpone Ratcliffe's confirmation vote by two days.

Hegseth paid $50,000 to woman alleging sex abuse

Meanwhile, Hegseth, Trump's nominee for Defence Secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided during his confirmation process.

The answers were provided to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in response to additional questions she had for Hegseth as part of the vetting process.

News of the payment came as the Senate advanced Hegseth's nomination along party lines, with a final vote on his confirmation expected Friday.

Democrats — and two Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins — raised concerns about Hegseth, who also has faced allegations of excessive drinking and domestic abuse, which he denies.

Two days after Hegseth was grilled by senators at this confirmation hearing, Trump's transition team briefed the two leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee on an additional statement that Hegseth's second wife, Samantha Hegseth, had provided to the FBI.

Hegseth's final confirmation vote is expected on Friday.

"The leader of the Department of Defense must demonstrate and model the standards of behavior and character we expect of all servicemembers, and Mr Hegseth's nomination to the role poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook," Senator Murkowski said.