William Burns confirmed as CIA director

(Image credit: Tom Williams/AFP via Getty Images)

published 19 March 2021

The Senate confirmed William Burns on Thursday as the next CIA director.

The longtime diplomat, who spent three decades in the Foreign Service, was confirmed by unanimous consent. Burns is known for his extensive knowledge of Russia, and will be the first CIA leader whose experience comes from the State Department. During his confirmation hearing in February, Burns said President Biden wants intelligence depoliticized and "the agency to give it to him straight — and I pledged to do just that, and to defend those who do the same."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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