William Burns wins Senate confirmation as next CIA director

Washington — The Senate unanimously confirmed William Burns as the next director of the CIA on Thursday, weeks after the Senate Intelligence Committee advanced his nomination.

Burns' confirmation had been held up by Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who sought to pressure the Biden administration to issue sanctions on entities involved in building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline — a years-long, multi-billion-dollar project that would allow Russia to ship gas directly to Germany, bypassing U.S. ally Ukraine.  The Senate approved Burns' nomination by voice vote Thursday afternoon after Cruz lifted his hold. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, applauded his confirmation, saying he is "confident that Director Burns, a loyal public servant, will lead the CIA with integrity and objectivity, and provide the leadership and support that the brave men and women of the CIA deserve."