The United States Senate has confirmed Joe Biden’s candidate, Lloyd Austin, to serve as Secretary of Defense, making the retired Army General the first African American to lead the Pentagon.
The final vote was 93 to 2, with only two Senate Republicans – Utah’s Mike Lee and Missouri’s Josh Hawley – opposing Austin’s nomination.
Austin said in a tweet that it was “an honor and a privilege” to serve as Secretary of Defense, adding that he was “extremely proud” to be the first African American to hold the position.
Austin, 67, will oversee the 1.3 million active-duty men and women who make up the country’s military. He is the second of Biden’s cabinet nominees to be confirmed, after Avril Haines, the director of the national intelligence agency, was confirmed Wednesday and sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday.
Lloyd Austin
(@LloydAustin)I’m immensely grateful for the service and sacrifices of those who broke down barriers for me – and while I may be the first African American Secretary of Defense, I hope I won’t be the last. pic.twitter.com/cT3fU6whmE
“In my opinion, there is no question that he is the right person for this job at the right time, he is leading the Department of Defense at this point in our nation’s history,” Biden said as he announced his Austin nomination for the last role. month. He called Austin the “definition of duty, honor, and country” and a leader “feared by our opponents, known and respected by our allies.”
Biden said Austin would help renew America’s relationship with allies, weakened by the Trump administration, and orient the defense department to face threats ranging from potential future pandemics to the climate emergency to refugee crises.
Austin’s confirmation comes a day after the House and Senate passed a waiver to confirm that he retired from the military less than seven years ago. Retired Navy General Jim Mattis was also given such a waiver to become Donald Trump’s defense secretary in 2017.
At Mattis’s confirmation hearing, many Democrats spoke of the need for civilian control over the military, including four current members of the Senate Armed Services Committee who opposed granting the waiver. Among them was Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a prominent Democrat, who also opposed a waiver for Austin.
Austin has tried to allay concerns about his recent service and pledged to approach the role of “civilian leader” with “deep appreciation and reverence for the prevailing wisdom of civilian control over our military.”
The Senate Finance Committee also unanimously backed Janet Yellen’s nomination as Finance Minister Friday morning, drawing a final vote. Republican Senator John Cornyn said Yellen, the former Federal Reserve Chairman, is likely to be confirmed later today.