The Senate Intelligence Committee voted 12 to 3 this week to confirm John Brennan as director of the CIA, after the White House agreed to give the committee access to classified information on the legal basis for drone strikes against suspected terrorists. The bipartisan vote ended weeks of delay in the nomination process. Despite a filibuster effort by Sen. Rand Paul and other opponents of the drone program, full Senate confirmation is expected. In his current role as Obama’s top counter-terrorism adviser, Brennan, a 25-year CIA veteran, has overseen the expansion of drone strikes in Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia. He will replace acting Director Michael Morell.
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