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The U.S. Senate confirmed Reserve General Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense on Friday, one of the first nominations confirmed in President Biden’s office, The Guardian reports.
Lloyd Austin is the first black person to serve as head of the Pentagon, a historic new nomination for the United States government.
Austin was confirmed as Secretary of Defense with a bipartisan vote of 93 votes to 2 against – only two Republican senators voted against – Mike Lee and Josh Hawley, the latter being a known and fervent supporter of former President Trump and one of the senators who filed appeals to validate the results of the January 6 elections.
Austin later wrote on Twitter that “it is an honor and a privilege” to lead the Department of Defense and that he is proud to be the first African American to hold office.
Austin is the second member of the Biden administration to be confirmed in the post, after Avril Haines, confirmed Wednesday as head of the national intelligence services, the first woman to hold this post.
Lloyd Austin, 67, led the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) from 2013 to 2016, after which he retired. As head of CENTCOM, General Austin oversaw operations in the Middle East when the growing Islamic State began attacking cities in Iraq, prompting US military intervention. As vice president, Biden had this area of responsibility and worked closely with General Austin.
Publisher: Adrian Dumitru
