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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The United States (US) Senate confirmed Retired Army General Lloyd Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense in President Joe Biden’s cabinet.
Lloyd Austin’s success at the head of the United States Department of Defense made him the first black defense minister in the history of Uncle Sam.
In the voting session conducted by the United States Senate, Lloyd garnered fantastic support by pocketing 93 votes to 2 votes from the senators who rejected. The two senators came from the Republican Party.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are delighted that Austin is leading the Pentagon, just two days after Joe Biden took over as head of state, as quoted by Reuters, on Saturday (1/23/2021).
Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Democratic Party who belongs to the Senate Armed Services Committee, stressed that the United States is currently facing several challenges, from the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), to competition from China and Russia.
“General Austin is a highly qualified leader with a long and distinguished career in the US military,” Reed said before the vote.
Austin is a retired four-star general known as a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The 67-year-old led US troops on a mission to Baghdad in 2003 and has served as the head of the US Central Command.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(hps / hps)
