Published January 21, 2021, 8:42 AM The US Senate voted Wednesday to confirm former CIA official Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, making her the first member of newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden’s cabinet to gain approval. In this file photo taken on January 19, 2021 nominee for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines is sworn in before the start of her confirmation hearing as Nominee for Director of National Intelligence on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by Joe Raedle / POOL / AFP / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate Democrats and Republicans gave strong support to Haines, voting 84-10 to make her the first woman ever to lead the 18 entities of the US intelligence community.