Senate Committee Confirms President's Pick for CIA Chief

The woman who wants to be the next CIA director is one step closer to the job.

The Senate Intelligence Committee voted 10-5 behind closed doors Wednesday to advance Gina Haspel's nomination.

Haspel told senators she would defy a direct order from the president which she thought was immoral.

Haspel said, "My moral compass is strong, I would not allow CIA to undertake an activity that I thought was immoral even if it was technically legal."

Several senators questioned Haspel on the controversy surrounding her role in the agency's waterboarding program.

The full Senate now appears all but certain to confirm Haspel within the next week or so, which would make her the first woman to lead the spy agency.

Her confirmation also would complete President Trump's recent shakeup of his national security and foreign policy teams.

In recent weeks, John Bolton has become the national security adviser. Mike Pompeo has become secretary of state, and Haspel looks set to replace Pompeo as CIA director.

Sen. Richard Burr (R-Va.), the intelligence committee's chairman, said in a statement that Haspel is the best person to lead the CIA, saying she "has acted morally, ethically, and legally" during her career.