The Senate voted to confirm John Ratcliffe as the next CIA director approving the second high-level appointment for the Trump administration.

John Ratcliffe was confirmed to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Thursday, making him the second of President Donald Trump's cabinet picks to secure their position.

John Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe to serve as the next director of the CIA on Thursday.

Trump’s pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency is John Ratcliffe, who formerly served as Director of National Intelligence in Trump’s first term. His confirmation hearing took place last week, during which he repeatedly said he would not hire or fire employees based on their political views.

A Senate Democrat is blocking a streamlined process to vote on Trump's nominees, forcing the Senate to take lengthy procedural votes. This strategy was employed by Republicans while in the minority.

Trump took the action after the former officials said in 2020 that leaks from Hunter Biden laptop could be "a Russian information operation."

Negotiations broke down to hold a final vote on Trump's CIA nominee, prompting Senate GOP leadership to tee up procedural steps to advance John Ratcliffe and others.

A longtime FBI deputy director who had been expected to replace Director Christopher Wray on an acting basis is retiring from the bureau.

Ratcliffe, 59, is now the first person to have served as both director of national intelligence and chief of the CIA.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune had called out Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy for delaying the vote on a “key national security position.”