WASHINGTON — In what senators from both parties called a potential turning point for U.S. intelligence agencies, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday afternoon to confirm the nomination of Rep. Porter J. Goss, R-Fla., as director of central intelligence.
At least 28 Democrats joined 49 Republicans in voting in favor of Goss' confirmation, which was approved, 77-17. The broad Democratic support represented a victory for President Bush, whose decision in August to nominate a new intelligence chief in an election year was seen by some as a political gamble that might be met with united Democratic opposition.
With Goss expected to be sworn in as early as today, senators from both parties said they hoped that his directorship would mark the beginning of a new era at U.S. intelligence agencies after a recent history marked by intelligence failures connected to the Sept. 11 attacks and prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said in support of Goss, "The next person to head the CIA will lead the organization at its most demanding time in history. President Bush made the right call when he chose Porter Goss to fill this role."
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., who was among the Democrats who voted in favor of confirmation, said, "We want to be sure that there are no more 9/11's and no more wars based on dated and dubious intelligence."
Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., who is often a staunch critic of the White House, said of Goss' nomination, "This time, the president got it right."
Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who is chairman of the Intelligence Committee, praised Goss as "someone who has the integrity to look the president in the eye and say no."
At 65, Goss, a former CIA officer and the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, will be the first new director of central intelligence since 1997, and the 19th in the 57-year history of the post. Goss has described the country's intelligence capabilities as needing enormous improvement, and he has said that he wants to encourage more risk-taking by U.S. intelligence officers, to whom he has pledged to give a longer leash.
Goss has not otherwise outlined a clear agenda for the new job, whose responsibilities include not only running the CIA, but also nominal oversight of the broader network of 15 intelligence agencies. Under the broad restructuring now being debated in Congress, the future of the post is in some doubt, with most reform plans calling for it to be downgraded to that of CIA director alone, subordinate to a new national intelligence director.
On the Senate floor on Wednesday, Roberts, whose own reform proposal calls for dismantling the CIA, described Goss as "the next, and probably last, director of central intelligence." While it is not clear whether Goss might be nominated to a higher post, Roberts said that Goss "was ready to go to work, and he is needed."
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, had warned Bush against nominating Goss, on the ground that he was too partisan for the intelligence post.
With the country facing threats from al-Qaida as well as insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rockefeller warned that the intelligence chief would become "the most important person for that position ever confirmed by the United States Senate."
Among those who spoke in favor of Goss' nomination was Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., who compared Goss favorably with his predecessor, George J. Tenet, who stepped down in July after a seven-year tenure whose final months were marked by controversy over the recent intelligence failures. Goss, as an eight-term congressman, Lott said, "was one of us, and he won't try to fool us."
Goss will take the place of John E. McLaughlin, who as the deputy director of central intelligence has been the acting director since July 12. The vote to confirm Goss came less than seven weeks after Bush nominated him, and it followed less than four hours of debate on the Senate floor, where only four senators, all Democrats, spoke against Goss' nomination. Four Democrats and nine Republicans spoke in favor.
Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and John Edwards, D-N.C., the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates, were absent and did not vote.
Among those voting against the nomination, all Democrats, were Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton, of New York, Jon Corzine and Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut.