Today, both of Texas’ U.S. Senators announced their approval of the selection.
“I was glad to see the President has chosen a worthy successor [to Coats],” Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said on the Senate floor.
He continued, “[Prior to serving in Congress] Ratcliffe served with distinction as a United States attorney prosecuting cases that spanned a wide spread of issues including counterterrorism and national security.”
One such case was the Holy Land Foundation case in which the United States successfully prosecuted individuals for funneling millions of dollars to the Islamic terrorist organization, Hamas.
Cornyn then stated, “Since the job was created, every single director has been confirmed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote.”
“In fact,” he continued, “none of these men received the support of fewer than 85 Senators. This one should be no different.”
Some have questioned Ratcliffe’s qualifications for the position, suggesting a potential effort to derail the nomination right out of the gate. Ratcliffe is currently in his third term in Congress and sits on the House Intelligence Committee, House Judiciary Committee, and the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Senator Cruz (R-TX) released a statement today saying, “Rep. Ratcliffe is a good man and a friend who has served the people of Texas well, first as U.S. Attorney and then representing the 4th district as a Member of Congress and on the House Intelligence Committee. I believe the president made a strong choice, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get Rep. Ratcliffe confirmed.”
Texas Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) stated, “While I was Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, John served as Chairman of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee.”
McCaul continued, “His background and knowledge of our country’s national security is invaluable for the position of Director of National Intelligence.”
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) announced yesterday that he will work “swiftly” to move the confirmation process forward following the August recess.
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Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is a senior reporter for The Texan and an Ohio native who graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017. He is an avid sports fan who most enjoys watching his favorite teams continue their title drought throughout his cognizant lifetime. In his free time, you may find Brad quoting Monty Python productions and trying to calculate the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
