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LIVE: Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms Ret. Army General Lloyd Austin as Defense Secretary
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January 22, 2021
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2:20:07Now Playing(Jan. 22) The Senate confirmed retired Army General Lloyd Austin as defense secretary on Friday, making him the first Black leader of the U.S. military and the second member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet to win approval.
The 93-2 vote came the day after both the House and Senate waived a law barring service members from leading the Pentagon within seven years of retiring. Austin, who rose through the ranks to command U.S. forces in the Middle East, retired in 2016.
“Mr. Austin will be the first African-American to ever helm the Defense Department in its history, a powerful symbol of the diversity and history of America’s armed forces,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Mr. Austin has a storied career in the Army, but those days are behind him. As secretary of defense he promised to empower and lift up his civilian staff, and I believe that he will be an outstanding secretary of defense for everyone at the Pentagon.”
Austin’s confirmation followed Senate approval on Wednesday for Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence. The Senate traditionally has sought to act on national security nominees quickly after a new president takes office to send a message of stability to allies and adversaries. Senate leaders were negotiating to resolve objections to taking up the nomination of Antony Blinken as secretary of state.
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