Haspel needs 51 votes to be confirmed as the first woman director of the CIA in the 100-seat Senate, where Trump's fellow Republicans hold a 51-49 majority. The agency's former deputy director, she would succeed Mike Pompeo, a Republican former congressman confirmed last month as secretary of state. As he opened the hearing, the panel's Republican chairman, Richard Burr, praised Haspel. Warner also said he would want Haspel's commitment to cooperate in investigations into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election. They said Haspel also agreed that harsh interrogation tactics produced valuable intelligence.

Source: dna May 09, 2018 14:28 UTC