Washington DC, Feb. 11 -- The US Senate on Monday voted along party lines to move forward with Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for director of national intelligence, paving the way for a final confirmation vote, according to a report by Politico.

With the backing of 52 Senate Republicans, Gabbard is expected to be confirmed as the nation's top intelligence official soon. Forty-six Democrats opposed her nomination, and two senators were absent during the vote.

The vote was conducted under a procedural rule called cloture, which is often used for contentious Cabinet nominees like Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

This rule permits up to 30 hours of debate before a final vote can take place. Gabbard had previously been approved by the Senate ...