The U.S Senate recently announced a confirmed appointment of Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence. She is the first member to take her seat on President Biden’s cabinet and also the first female to take the helm of such an esteemed and high profile position in almost 15 years.
Vice President Kamala Harris swore her in on Thursday, hoping that Haines will prove to be the right choice and shoulder this massive responsibility with utmost devotion and dedication.
She won the vote by 84-10 on Wednesday and made history, adding another feather to her cap of accomplishments. Congratulating Haines via his Twitter account, President Biden wrote that he appreciates the parliament for putting partisanship aside and chose to look at the bigger picture.
Haines shared that it is surely a great honor to take on this role and serve the country. She added, “The men and women of Intelligence Community are patriots of extraordinary talents and expertise, who work tirelessly to protect our nation, advance its security and prosperity, and defend its freedoms and values.”
Haines has had immense experience working for the government and advocated for issues like Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s report, the spread of coronavirus, and China’s involvement.
She has been very vocal about how Trump’s administration failed to do its job properly. She argued that officials were cajoled or simply forced to adopt his politics and support his views.
He fired an intelligence officer for following the law and reporting a complaint, something that is highly irrational and unreasonable beyond measure. She emphasized that even if it is displeasing, it is crucial to remain transparent and speak the truth.
During Obama’s administration, Haines worked as director of CIA and was the first woman to become deputy national security advisor. She has also served on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has considerable knowledge about law and order.