John Ratcliffe, Donald Trump's pick to lead the CIA, told members of the Senate that loyalty to Trump would not conflict with duties to follow intelligence leads.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, John Ratcliffe, promised the Senate Intelligence Committee that he and the agency would increase the focus on China during his confirmation hearing Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA told senators during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that the nation’s premier spy agency must do a better job of staying ahead of global threats posed by Russia, China and other adversaries.

Republicans and Democrats praised the former lawmaker and intelligence official, who vowed not to use political loyalty tests at the CIA.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday will question President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the CIA on his vision for America's premier spy agency. John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term,

Trump first tapped Ratcliffe to serve as director of national intelligence in 2019, but he quickly withdrew from consideration after lawmakers raised questions about his qualifications. He was ultimately confirmed by a sharply divided Senate after Trump resubmitted the nomination.

CIA nominee John Ratcliffe is telling senators about how he’ll reshape the intelligence community in what he calls "the most challenging national security environment in our nation’s history."

The Senate intelligence committee holds a confirmation hearing on Wednesday for President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be CIA director, John Ratcliffe, a former Republican lawmaker who was accused of using intelligence for political ends as the nation’s top spy during the incoming U.