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Ratcliffe represented Texas’ 4th Congressional District until Trump picked him to serve as director of national intelligence in 2020.

Haspel faced criticism for her role in the agency's waterboarding program. But several Senate Democrats joined almost all the Republicans to confirm her as the first woman to lead the CIA.

The intelligence committee approved her 10-5. With several Democrats backing Haspel, she looks headed for confirmation in the full Senate despite her role in the CIA's waterboarding program.

"I absolutely was an advocate" for destroying CIA interrogation tapes in 2005, Haspel said, if the act was found to be "conforming to U.S. law."

Gina Haspel's prepared remarks say that "under my leadership CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation program." She was at a CIA prison where prisoners were waterboarded.

Haspel is the first woman nominated for the CIA's top job. Her covert career and links to waterboarding will likely make for an unusual Senate confirmation hearing with an uncertain outcome.

NPR has confirmed that intelligence officials say it's now "quite clear" Russian hackers worked to tip the presidency in Donald Trump's favor. Trump's transition team has dismissed the assessment.