Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., faces pressure from Trump-aligned senators to allow a public vote of the Senate Intelligence Committee on recommending Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence.

A former Hawaii congresswoman, Gabbard joined the Republicans during the 2024 campaign and has been an outspoken critic of the intelligence community. Her nomination ranks among the most contentious of President Donald Trump's Cabinet picks and she is expected to face a tumultuous confirmation fight.

Senators favoring Gabbard hope to pressure lawmakers to back her by making the panel vote public, Politico reported. Cotton himself is generally regarded as a hawk and supporter of the intelligence community.

The Senate Intelligence Committee will hold a hearing for Gabbard this week. Typically, it does not publicly release its vote breakdowns, though individual lawmakers may reveal their own decisions.

The panel is split 9-8 and all of its Democrats are expected to oppose Gabbard.