WASHINGTON – Retired General Lloyd Austin has been confirmed as President Biden’s Pentagon chief, becoming the first African-American secretary of defense and overcoming the strong winds of both sides.
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Friday to confirm Austin, 93-2.
Austin, a four-star general who retired in 2016, needed a resignation from Congress to repeal a law that says a secretary of defense must wait seven years after active duty to hold the top civilian position.
Lawmakers had been wary of granting a second resignation after granting it to President Donald Trump’s first secretary of defense, retired General Jim Mattis, but he eventually voted to confirm Austin.
Last month, several House Democrats called on Austin, the leader of the U.S. Central Command, to pledge to ensure civilian control of the military.
Biden praised Austin’s leadership and urged Congress to approve the resignation, which the House finally did Thursday in another 326-78 bipartisan vote.
“We need your first-hand knowledge of the immeasurable cost of war and the burden it will place on service members and their families, to help end wars forever and ensure that the use of force is the last tool in our toolbox, not the first, ”Biden said earlier this month.
Austin, only the sixth African-American to hold the rank of four-star army general and the first to lead an army corps in combat, is a historic Pentagon chief, but he was not the first choice for the role. .
Michele Flournoy, a Pentagon veteran who served as Undersecretary of Defense under President Barack Obama and Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for President Bill Clinton, was considered Biden’s first choice and would have been the first woman to lead the Pentagon.
Democratic Sen. John Tester of Montana and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last month opposed the granting of a resignation to Austin and were one of 17 Senate Democrats who voted against doing the same for Mattis in 2017.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he would vote to confirm Austin, calling him “a clear patriot with an impressive career,” but warned Congress to continue to ignore the resignation.
“It’s not just a simplistic fear that the military will end up leading by themselves. On the contrary, many experts are concerned that the proper fixation of military leaders not to be politicians will not prepare them to fight hard for our forces. armed in the midst of political revolts in the executive branch and here in Congress, ”McConnell said.
Austin is the second confirmed member of Biden’s cabinet, after National Intelligence Director Avril Haines.