Senate panel advances Haspel nomination

The Senate Intelligence Committee voted on Wednesday to send Gina Haspel’s nomination to the floor, setting up a final vote on the nominee as soon as this week.

Two Democrats, Sens. Mark Warner (Va.), the vice chairman of the committee, and Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), sided with Republicans in approving her nomination in a 10-5 vote during a closed committee meeting.

“As Director of the CIA, Gina Haspel will be the first operations officer in more than five decades to lead the Agency. …Most importantly, I believe she is someone who can and will stand up to the President if ordered to do something illegal or immoral – like a return to torture,” Warner said in a statement after the vote.