William J. Burns
| William J. Burns | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Role: | Director |
| Education: | • LaSalle University • Oxford University |
William J. Burns is the director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Biden administration. The Senate confirmed Burns by voice vote on March 18, 2021.[1][2] On July 21, 2023, Biden elevated the role to a Cabinet-level position.[3]
Biography
Burns received a B.A. in history from LaSalle University. He then studied at Oxford University as a Marshall scholar, earning an MPhil and DPhil in international relations.[4]
Burns served in the United States Foreign Service for 33 years. He was the ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001 and the ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008. He also held the following positions during his tenure: assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, under secretary of state for political affairs, and deputy secretary of state. He retired in 2014.[2][4]
In 2019, Random House published Burns' book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal. As of January 2021, Burns was the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.[4]
Nomination for director of the CIA
- See also: Joe Biden presidential transition
Biden announced on January 11, 2021, that Burns was his nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[2] Politico reported that the position would not be part of Biden’s Cabinet.[5] Biden elevated the position to Cabinet-level on July 21, 2023.[3]
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) put a hold on Burns' nomination, saying he was concerned with the Biden administration's position on the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline. He lifted the hold after Secretary of State Tony Blinken said entities involved in the pipeline could receive sanctions. The Senate confirmed Burns by voice vote on March 18, 2021.[1][6]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms William J. Burns. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 CNN, "Senate confirms William Burns to be next CIA director after Cruz lifts hold," March 18, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Biden-Harris Transition, "President-elect Biden Announces Ambassador William J. Burns as his Nominee for CIA Director," January 11, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 White House, "Statement from President Joe Biden on Director Bill Burns," July 21, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "William J. Burns," accessed January 11, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "Impeachment threatens to derail Biden transition," January 8, 2021
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Blinken Warns Entities Involved in Nord Stream 2 Pipeline to Immediately Quit," March 18, 2021
| ||||||||