Until Haines is sworn in, the director of national intelligence role will be filled in an acting capacity by ODNI Chief Operating Officer Lora Shiao, a senior intelligence official told CNN.
Shiao served as COO under President Donald Trump's DNI John Ratcliffe, who has left the job as expected.
At CIA, Biden's pick for deputy director, David Cohen, will serve as acting director until the permanent nominee is confirmed. Biden's pick for CIA director is former diplomat William Burns.
Haines pledged at her confirmation hearing to take politics out of the intelligence community, after four years where Trump was constantly clashing with the intelligence community and accused the so-called "deep state" of undermining his presidency. In a sign of Biden's prioritizing her role, he named Haines as his DNI pick well before selecting a CIA director, and he is not keeping the CIA post as a member of his Cabinet like Trump did.
"Given the critical importance of the role of the director of national intelligence to our country's security, it is appropriate that Avril Haines has now become the first member of the new administration to be confirmed by the Senate in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote," said Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the incoming Senate Intelligence Committee chairman. "After being deliberately undermined for four years, the Intelligence Community deserves a strong, Senate-confirmed leader to lead and reinvigorate it."
Cotton said Wednesday that he also wanted Haines confirmed quickly, given her important intelligence role. But he said he was concerned with Haines' response to a question from Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden about accountability inside the CIA over the Bush-era interrogation program that included the use of harsh tactics like waterboarding.
Following a review of the Senate Intelligence Committee's "torture report" in 2013, Wyden noted at Wednesday's hearing that the CIA recommended broadening accountability reviews to include "systemic failures in accountability for individuals who were responsible for the failures."
"Do you agree with this recommendation, and if you are confirmed would you seek to apply it to the intelligence community?" Wyden asked.
"Yes, senator, I agree with the 2013 recommendation that the Central Intelligence Agency indicated and to broaden the approach of accountability review boards that the report identified," Haines responded.
Cotton, who did not question Haines during the open hearing Tuesday, asked Haines to clarify her answer during the Senate Intelligence Committee's subsequent closed session, he said. He submitted a question in writing afterward.
"During the subsequent closed session, you clarified that, if confirmed, any changes to the structure of accountability review boards or other administrative procedures would be forward looking, and that you would not re-litigate the conclusion of the CIA review into the rendition program or the Obama Administration's closure of related investigations," Cotton asked Haines. "Can you confirm that you will not reinvigorate efforts to prosecute, take administrative action against, or prejudice in any future promotion or selection panels any CIA officer involved with that program under DOJ guidance and Presidential direction?"
Cotton said he received sufficient assurances from Haines to lift the hold on her nomination. "I'm ready to vote on this nomination," he said.
This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.
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