Lloyd Austin, former Fort Drum commander, confirmed as first Black Defense Secretary
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Retired General Lloyd Austin smiles as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his conformation hearing to be the next Secretary of Defense in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2021. (Photo by Greg Nash / POOL / AFP) (Photo by GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate voted 93-to-2 to confirm Lloyd Austin, a former Fort Drum commander, as the first Black Secretary of Defense Friday.
Austin is Biden s second Cabinet official to be confirmed and he was approved by Congress with bipartisan support. Before his confirmation vote, Austin had to get a waiver from Congress to hold the office because he retired from the military less than seven years ago, a window intended to maintain civilian control of the Pentagon.
Lloyd Austin, former Fort Drum commander, nears Secretary of Defense job despite hurdles
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: U.S. Army (retired) General Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his conformation hearing to be the next Secretary of Defense on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. Austin is the first African-American to have headed U.S. Central Command. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images)Pool/GettyShow MoreShow Less
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., appears virtually during a confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin, a recently retired Army general, before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)Greg Nash/APShow MoreShow Less