WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate approved the nomination Thursday of John Negroponte to be the nation's first national intelligence director.
Approved with only two dissenting votes, Negroponte is approved to fill a demanding position overseeing a new agency created by last winter's national intelligence reform law.
The former U.S. ambassador will be charged with overhauling the nation's intelligence structure, overseeing and coordinating the country's 15 spy agencies and running a clearing house for their collected data.
Just how the new agency will function remains up in the air as it is still under development.
The Senate also confirmed, by voice vote, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the former head of the National Security Agency, to be Mr. Negroponte's top deputy.
