Senate Republicans Signal Distance From Acting DNI Pulte as Warner Moves Legislation

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has not communicated directly with at least three Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee since assuming the role, according to POLITICO. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) each told POLITICO they had received no outreach from Pulte since he took over the Office of the Director of National Intelligence [POLITICO]. The committee, chaired by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), holds statutory oversight authority over the intelligence community under Title 50 of the U.S. Code. Asked about the communication gap, Young said he "anticipates" contact soon; Rounds stated he "prefers" the Senate confirm Jay Clayton as permanent DNI as quickly as possible [POLITICO]. A Republican aide, speaking anonymously, said Pulte's team has been in contact with Senate Republicans and characterized those exchanges as constructive [POLITICO]. Spokespeople for both Pulte and Cotton did not respond to requests for comment [POLITICO].

The friction follows a sequence that has drawn bipartisan concern. Trump named Pulte to the intelligence post after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was stepping down. With Pulte's arrival, it marks the first time since the agency was formed in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, that ODNI has been led by someone with no prior intelligence or national security experience who did not previously hold a security clearance. Pulte retains his role as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he has referred several individuals perceived as Trump's political opponents for criminal prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud. He has drawn concern from both parties, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who said the country does not need a "weaponized" director of national intelligence.

Pulte's appointment has also complicated the confirmation track for Trump's permanent nominee. Trump later said Pulte would not serve in the role permanently and announced he would nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, instead, but then halted Clayton's nomination hours before his Senate confirmation hearing. In an early morning social media post, Trump stated the confirmation hearing would be cancelled and would not proceed "until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney," adding, "In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence." Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton confirmed the postponement, calling it "regrettable that the president has directed Jay Clayton not to appear." A timeline for Clayton's confirmation remains unclear.

The personnel situation at ODNI has added operational pressure. Pulte was looking at cutting hundreds of jobs at ODNI. Since taking over, more than 50 ODNI staff have been removed from their posts, with 45 returned to their home agencies and 6 career officials terminated, according to an administration official. In a letter to Pulte, the top Democrats on both congressional intelligence committees said they were "concerned by reports that you intend to fire or place on leave hundreds of Office of the Director of National Intelligence officers." The letter also warned Pulte that record-preservation obligations under federal law apply to all ODNI employees regardless of the duration of his tenure. Pulte's predecessor, Gabbard, claimed she had fired 500 people, or about 30% of the agency's workforce.

The confirmation impasse has also stalled a separate legislative priority. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expired on June 12 after Congress failed to reach agreement on even a short-term extension. Section 702 authorizes the collection, without a warrant, of communications of foreign targets located outside the United States. Hanging in the balance is an authority that national security officials across both parties have long described as vital for disrupting terror attacks and espionage operations, though some lawmakers and civil liberties advocates have raised concerns over incidental collection of Americans' communications. Democrats walked away from a bipartisan deal to renew Section 702 in connection with Pulte's appointment, citing the impropriety of an unconfirmed acting official overseeing the authority.

Against that backdrop, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the committee's ranking member, introduced legislation Tuesday to close the statutory gap that made Pulte's appointment possible. Warner introduced the Do Not Interfere in our Intelligence Act of 2026, which would strengthen the existing line of succession if the DNI position were vacated and require that intelligence community leadership remain in the hands of Senate-confirmed national security officials. Under existing statute, the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence is supposed to assume the acting role when the DNI position becomes vacant. Warner's bill would strengthen that line of succession by requiring the president to choose someone appointed and confirmed by the Senate who serves in an office within ODNI. If the principal deputy DNI position is also vacant, the president would be required to select from among other Senate-confirmed officials, including the director of the National Counterterrorism Center or the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. The bill faces long odds in a Republican-controlled Senate, but its introduction creates a legislative record and signals Democrats' intent to pursue oversight of the appointment mechanism regardless of how the Clayton nomination resolves.