Warner introduces bill to require Senate-confirmed acting DNIs in wake of Pulte controversy

Senate Warner introduces bill to require Senate-confirmed acting DNIs in wake of Pulte controversy Comments: by Rebecca Beitsch - 06/23/26 1:09 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Rebecca Beitsch - 06/23/26 1:09 PM ET Comments: Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would bar the president from installing an acting director of national intelligence (DNI), legislation taking aim at President Trump’s controversial pick to lead the intelligence community.

In tapping Bill Pulte, who also remains head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as an acting official, Trump sidestepped the Senate confirmation process to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Dubbed the Do Not Interfere in our Intelligence Act, Warner’s bill requires the principal deputy DNI, which is a Senate-confirmed position, to step in as the acting head of the agency should there be a vacancy.

“Bill Pulte may be exactly who President Trump wants running the intelligence community, but that does not make him qualified for the job….The intelligence community should be led by experienced, Senate-confirmed professionals – not by whoever happens to be most willing to carry out the president’s whims and vendettas,” Warner said in a press release announcing the legislation.

“And if there is an intelligence failure, a missed threat, or a national security crisis on Bill Pulte’s watch, Americans will pay the price, and President Trump will be to blame. He made the deliberate choice to pass over qualified national security professionals and put an unqualified loyalist in charge.”

When former DNI Tulsi Gabbard announced she would be stepping away from the role due to her husband’s cancer diagnosis, Trump initially announced her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, would step in to run the agency.

But he later backtracked, announcing Pulte would take over on an acting basis, something the law only allows him to do for 210 days.

Pulte has no national security or intelligence experience and alarmed even Senate Republicans who expressed fear he would abuse the power of the agency.

While at FHFA, Pulte made criminal referrals to the Justice Department for four Trump foes, alleging mortgage fraud.

Amid the backlash to Pulte, Democrats demanded that Lukas be returned to the acting DNI role, threatening not to back renewal of the nation’s spy powers. Shortly after Congress failed to renew the foreign surveillance powers, Trump nominated U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to serve as DNI. But he later demanded Clayton fail to appear for his confirmation hearing, an event swiftly scheduled in the hopes of preventing Pulte from serving as acting DNI.

Under Warner’s bill, if the principal deputy DNI position is vacant, the president would be required to pick from other roles also vetted by the upper chamber: the director of the National Counterterrorism Center or of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, or ODNI’s general counsel, or the inspector general for the intelligence community.

As a backstop, Warner’s bill also lists several other officials who could be tapped if those positions are vacant, including Senate-confirmed leaders at the CIA, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency.

Add as preferred source on Google Tags Bill Pulte Jay Clayton Mark Warner Tulsi Gabbard

Comments: Link copied