March 14, 2017

Dan Coats to be Director of National Intelligence


  • Dan Coats served his country in the Army, in the House of Representatives, and as ambassador to Germany.
  • As a Senator, he was a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence committees. He has now answered the call again, to serve as the director of national intelligence.

President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Senator Dan Coats to be the director of national intelligence on January 5. The nomination was received in the Senate on January 20. The Senate Intelligence Committee held a confirmation hearing on February 28. He was reported out of committee favorably by a vote of 13-2, with Senators Wyden and Harris voting no. Senate Republicans are now in the process of breaking a filibuster of the nomination.  

Dan Coats Graphic

When President Obama nominated his first DNI on January 20, 2009, a hearing was held on January 22, and the nominee was confirmed by voice vote on January 28.

In Chairman Burr’s opening statement at the confirmation hearing last month, he said he had “complete trust” that Senator Coats would lead the intelligence community “with integrity and will ensure that the intelligence enterprise operates lawfully, ethically, and morally.” The vice chairman of the committee, Senator Warner, said that he was “pleased” the nomination was “overwhelmingly voted out of committee.”

The importance of this position and the qualifications of Senator Coats for it are self-evident. It is well past time for the Senate to act on this national security nomination of a new administration. 

Issue Tag: Senate