Republican U.S. Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Tuesday he looked forward to supporting Gina Haspel's nomination to be director of the CIA "ensuring its consideration without delay."
In a statement, Burr, whose committee oversees the Central Intelligence Agency, said, "I know Gina personally and she has the right skill set, experience, and judgment to lead one of our nation's most critical agencies."
Haspel's nomination has been criticized by some Democrats and human rights advocates because of her past involvement with controversial CIA programs including a "black site" detention facility in Thailand where suspects were subjected to waterboarding.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle.
