James Comey New FBI Director

Local Editor

The US Senate overwhelmingly confirmed James Comey on Monday to become FBI director.

Comey was approved 93-1 after one of the Senate's leading conservatives abruptly ended delaying tactics that had blocked a vote on the nomination. Sen. Rand Paul, mentioned as a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, had been thwarting the vote over his concerns about the FBI's domestic use of drones.

Minutes before a vote that seemed likely to force an end to his delays, Paul announced he would allow a vote on Comey, saying he'd received a letter from the FBI that answered his questions about drones.
Paul was the only "no" vote.
The vote led off a week in which majority Democrats were hoping to push a parade of nominations through the chamber. Among them were President Barack Obama's picks of Samantha Power as UN ambassador.
This is Congress' last week before its five-week summer recess.

Obama nominated Comey, 52, in June. He will succeed Robert Mueller, who is stepping down in September after 12 years heading the agency.
"In the face of ever-changing threats, he has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to defending America's security and ideals alike," Obama said in a written statement about Comey.

With the Obama administration under fire following recent revelations about the National Security Agency's collection of records of domestic telephone calls and online communications, Comey's credentials of serving under a Republican president helped make him an attractive candidate for the top FBI job.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team