The Senate Intelligence Committee voted 9-8 on Tuesday to advance Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for director of national intelligence.
Her nomination will now head to the full Senate for a final vote.
"Once confirmed, I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to keep America safe and to bring badly needed reforms to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence," said Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Gabbard is considered one of President Donald Trump's more controversial cabinet picks.
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Republican Sen. Todd Young, who was considered a potential swing vote for Gabbard's nomination, said on Tuesday that he would support the former Democratic congresswoman after receiving assurances from Gabbard.
"I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer," Young said.
During testimony before lawmakers last week, Gabbard accused the intelligence community of being "weaponized" against political opponents. She claimed that she was among those targeted by the intelligence community after she said she was placed on a terror watch list within 24 hours of criticizing the nomination of 2024 Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The New York Times reported that intelligence officials briefly subjected her to special scrutiny on airline flights after she attended an event at the Vatican organized by a European businessman who appeared on an FBI watch list.
Gabbard served in the National Guard and later was on the House Committee on Homeland Security for one term. She also served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs. As director of national intelligence, she would play a key role in national security for the White House. Her agency is tasked with preparing the president's daily briefing and overseeing the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.
