Dems accused of 'stonewalling' Tulsi Gabbard confirmation after GOP demands quick hearing
The Trump transition team is accusing Democrats in the Senate of "stonewalling" Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation to the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
A hearing has yet to be set for President-elect Trump's DNI pick, despite Republicans pushing for Gabbard's nomination to be one of the first considered due to national security concerns. The potential delay in her hearing was first reported by Axios.
Committee rules dictate that the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence can't hold a hearing unless all necessary paperwork is received at least a week beforehand, the office of Intel Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., told Fox News Digital.
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Per Warner's office, the committee has yet to receive pre-hearing questions from Gabbard or an ethics disclosure. They also haven't gotten a copy of her FBI background check.
However, a spokesperson for Gabbard and the Trump transition team pushed back on this. According to the transition, the paperwork that was due on Dec. 18 was submitted, the FBI background check has been done, and an additional round of paperwork is due on Thursday and will be finished by then.
The FBI did not respond immediately to Fox News Digital's question about whether the background check had been provided to the Intel Committee.
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The transition team also noted that Gabbard has a top-secret security clearance from her Army service, meaning her background check was expedited.
The spokesperson for Gabbard asserted that Warner was directing Democratic members of the committee not to set up meetings with her until he had done so, drawing out her meeting process. According to them, Warner's office was emailed on Nov. 27 but did not reply until Dec 29.
"After the terrorist attacks on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, it's sad to see Sen. Warner and Democrats playing politics with Americans' safety and our national security by stonewalling Lt. Col. Gabbard's nomination, who is willing to meet with every member who will meet with her as this process continues," said transition spokesperson Alexa Henning.
"It is vital the Senate confirms President-elect Trump's national security nominees swiftly, which in the past has been a bipartisan effort. We are working in lockstep with Chairman Cotton and look forward to Lt. Col. Gabbard's hearing before Inauguration Day."
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The only Democrat to bypass this supposed directive was Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., the transition team said. The two met last month at the Capitol.
Gabbard's team added that Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Angus King, I-Maine, only responded after Warner's team finally confirmed their meeting.
Warner's office denied issuing any such directive to Democratic members. "That is flat-out untrue. Vice Chairman Warner has encouraged every senator on the Committee to meet with the nominee (as he has), carefully evaluate her experience, record and statements for themselves, and reach their own conclusions about whether she has the qualifications and background for this critical role," spokesperson Rachel Cohen told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The intel vice chairman met in person with Gabbard on Tuesday. "I had a session with Ms. Gabbard, I went in with a lot of questions. I've still got a lot of questions," Warner said afterward.
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"This is an extraordinarily serious job that requires maintaining the independence of the intelligence community. It also means maintaining the cooperation of our allies. We've got a lot of our intelligence from our allies on a sharing basis, and if those – that information is not kept secure, it raises huge concern. So I've got, you know, we've got a number of questions out for her. This is the beginning of a process."
A spokesperson for the new Intel chairman, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Chairman Cotton intends to hold these hearings before Inauguration Day. The Intelligence Committee, the nominees, and the transition are diligently working toward that goal."
A source familiar told Fox News Digital that the committee has yet to prompt Gabbard for her written responses to the advance policy questions, and emphasized that she can't respond to something not yet received.