On Tuesday, the GOP-led Senate took a key step toward confirming President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel to become director of the FBI, a bureau that has faced claims of politicization in recent years.
By a 48-45 tally, members voted in favor of a motion to proceed to executive session. A handful of senators did not vote. Votes to break the filibuster and confirm the nominee are expected to happen Thursday.
Trump selected Patel, a top investigator for the House Intelligence Committee who later served in high-level national security positions within the president’s first administration, in late November.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump said in a statement.
Trump went on to assert that his pick to lead the FBI “played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.”
Over the past few years, the FBI has faced criticism from the president and his allies over its investigation into Trump’s suspected links to Russia, raid of Mar-a-Lago, allegedly targeting pro-life activists, and more.
During his confirmation hearing at the end of last month, Patel said, “Protecting the rights of the Constitution is of the utmost importance to me and has been every single time I have taken that oath of office.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines on Thursday to favorably report Patel’s nomination to the full Senate after a one-week delay at the behest of Democrat members on the panel.
Republican supporters argued Patel would restore trust in the FBI “infected by political bias and weaponized against the American people.” Democrats raised concerns about his qualifications and motives.
An FBI director answers directly to the U.S. Attorney General and serves a term of up to 10 years. Chris Wray, a Trump nominee who stayed on as FBI director in the Biden administration, stepped down last month.
When the Senate holds its final vote, Patel will need a simple majority to be confirmed. So far, all of Trump’s second-term nominees have prevailed, though some have prevailed by very narrow margins.
CNN reported Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have yet to decide on whether to support Patel. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced on Tuesday he would vote to confirm the nominee.
“I’ve spoken to multiple people I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—both for and against. The ones who worked closely with Kash vouched for him. I will vote for his confirmation,” Cassidy said on X.
The Senate immediately moved to hold a confirmation vote on Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee to become Secretary of Commerce, after members voted to break the filibuster on Patel’s nomination.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were among the nominees who were confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office last week.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined with Democrats in voting against Gabbard and Kennedy Jr. He also opposed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as did Collins and Murkowski, leading to a VP tie-breaker.
