Washington: US President Donald Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence triggered a sharp political clash on Capitol Hill, with top Democrats questioning his qualifications while Republicans largely deferred judgment and pointed to the temporary nature of the move.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the appointment “another indication of how unserious, reckless and dangerous Donald Trump and his administration are with respect to the national security of the American people.”
Speaking at a Capitol Hill news conference, Jeffries questioned Pulte’s credentials for one of the government’s most sensitive national security positions.
“What exactly are Bill Pulte’s qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries argued that Pulte’s appointment could further complicate congressional efforts to renew surveillance authorities.
“Bill Pulte is deeply unserious, deeply dangerous, and deeply unqualified,” he said, adding that the appointment “will jeopardize the effort to pass surveillance legislation that was already on life support.”
Democratic criticism quickly spread to the Senate.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described the move as one that “should send a shiver down the spine of everyone.”
“Bill Pulte has proven himself willing to act as a Trump political puppet, filing baseless, outrageous, politically motivated charges on Trump’s behalf. And now Trump wants to put him in charge of intelligence,” Schumer told reporters following the Senate Democrats’ weekly policy luncheon.
Schumer said intelligence officials must remain independent from political influence.
“Americans need an intelligence chief to be loyal to the facts. If you’re not loyal to the facts and intelligence, you’re not protecting our security,” he said. “The intelligence community exists to protect the American people, not to serve as another instrumentality of Presidential retribution.”
Republicans, meanwhile, adopted a more cautious approach.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said senators had only learned of the appointment earlier in the day.
“We were just made aware of that appointment this morning,” Thune said, noting that any permanent nomination would require Senate confirmation.
When asked directly whether Pulte possessed the experience needed to lead the intelligence community, Thune deferred to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton.
Cotton declined to weigh in on the appointment itself, instead focusing on the remaining tenure of current Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
“We have four more weeks with Director Gabbard as the DNI,” Cotton said. “I have no observations on the matter.”
The dispute comes as Congress is preparing to confront several national security issues, including surveillance authorities and intelligence reforms. Jeffries warned that lawmakers would find it difficult to trust the administration with expanded surveillance powers under the current leadership structure.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission to improve coordination among America’s intelligence agencies. The DNI oversees and coordinates the work of the U.S. intelligence community, which includes 18 separate agencies and organisations.
(IANS)
