Democrats Mark Warner, Heidi Heitkamp to back Gina Haspel

Two more Democrats have added their names to the list of people who say they will vote to confirm Gina Haspel to be the next CIA director, all but ensuring her confirmation. 

Virginia’s Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat from North Dakota, announced their “yes” votes Tuesday afternoon. Warner’s announcement came after Haspel wrote him to say the CIA should never have run a harsh detention and interrogation program after 9/11. Her written comments went farther than ones she made at her confirmation hearing.

The other two Democrats voting for Haspel are Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. Heitkamp, Donnelly and Manchin all face tough reelection races this fall in heavily Republican states. Most Republicans are expected to back Haspel, although Sen. John McCain is ailing and unlikely to vote on the nomination and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has announced his opposition.

In her letter, Haspel told Warner the CIA’s “enhanced” methods of interrogation “did damage to our officers and our standing.” 

“Over the last 17 years, the agency and I have learned the hard lessons since 9/11,” Haspel wrote. “While I won’t condemn those that made these hard calls, and I have noted the valuable intelligence collected, the program ultimately did damage to our officers and our standing in the world. With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken. The United States must be an example to the rest of the world, and I support that.” 

The committee is expected to vote on Haspel Wednesday.