The U.S. Senate confirmed Walter "Jay" Clayton III as director of national intelligence on Tuesday, voting 51-47.
Clayton previously served as Securities and Exchange Commission chairman during President Donald Trump's first term and most recently held the position of U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He succeeds interim Director Bill Pulte, who took on the acting role after Tulsi Gabbard's resignation.
During his time as interim director, Pulte oversaw multiple rounds of staff reductions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The confirmation came after a narrow party-line vote in the Senate Intelligence Committee and a procedural vote earlier in the week. Republicans emphasized Clayton's management experience in the context of ongoing national security challenges, while Democrats expressed concerns regarding his limited intelligence background.