The US Senate voted Thursday to proceed with the nomination of John Brennan to be President Barack Obama's next director of the CIA, setting up his almost certain confirmation. The Senate voted 81-16, with Republicans flocking to approve Brennan after a dramatic 13-hour filibuster the night before by Republican Rand Paul over the Obama administration's refusal to unequivocally rule out drone strikes to conduct targeted killings on US soil.

WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate's Democratic leadership signaled that, despite a snowstorm in the Washington area, they would try to hold a final vote by the full Senate on Wednesday to confirm White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan as director of the CIA. "Roll call votes in relation to the Brennan nomination are possible this afternoon," said a statement issued by the office of Senator Richard Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat.

Washington, Mar 5 (EFE).- The Senate Intelligence Committee approved Tuesday the appointment of John Brennan as CIA director, which clears the way for his final confirmation after weeks of delay. The vote in the committee was 12-3 in favor of sending the nomination on to the full Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said a floor vote will probably come by the end of this week.

The US Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday gave its approval for John Brennan to be the next director of the CIA, setting up a full confirmation vote as early as this week. Senators in a closed-door hearing voted 12-3 to approve Brennan, putting him on track to be President Barack Obama's third major national security nominee to be confirmed, after Secretary of State John Kerry and Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel. "No one is better prepared to be CIA director than Mr. Brennan," Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the committee, said in a statement announcing the vote.