Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence, will step down on August 15, with President Trump naming Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, as his nominee to replace Coats as the head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Coats, who has led ODNI since January 2017, has led the office as it launched the IC2025 initiative, refined its implementation of the IC Information Technology Enterprise (ICITE), and tackled issues of election security and threats.
“I am pleased with the accomplishments the ODNI and the broader intelligence community have achieved,” Coats wrote in his resignation letter, citing the recent establishment of an election threats executive as an accomplishment.
In a July 28 tweet, President Trump announced that he will nominate Ratcliffe to fill the role. Ratcliffe has been a key voice on the Hill for cybersecurity issues, sponsoring legislation on election security, codifying the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program, and IoT security. He also sponsored the 21st Century IDEA Act, which requires agencies to make their websites secure and user-friendly.
“I am deeply grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to lead our Nation’s intelligence community and work on behalf of all the public servants who are tirelessly devoted to defending the security and safety of the United States,” said Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe’s nomination will go to the Senate for confirmation.