U.S. President Joe Biden got a needed boost early Friday, with lawmakers giving final approval to his secretary of defense, who becomes only the second Cabinet member to be confirmed the administration seeks to push back against key adversaries, including Russia.The Senate voted 93–2 to confirm retired General Lloyd Austin, making him the first African American to lead the Department of Defense.“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense, and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position. Let’s get to work,” tweeted Austin Friday.It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary of Defense, and I’m especially proud to be the first African American to hold the position. Let’s get to work. White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Jan. 21, 2021.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also confirmed Thursday that Biden is asking the intelligence community for assessments on suspect Russian actions, including the SolarWinds cyberhack, interference in November’s presidential election, the use of chemical weapons against opposition leader Alexei Navalny and alleged bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.The newly confirmed Austin will likely have to confront other pressing concerns, including Chinese and Iranian aggression, as well as what direction to take in conflict zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, where former president Donald Trump oversaw recently concluded troop drawdowns.With Friday’s vote in the Senate, Austin becomes just the second member of the new U.S. security team to be confirmed.Nominee for Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee during a confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 19, 2021.Lawmakers confirmed Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines late Wednesday.Haines, the first woman to lead the U.S. intelligence committee was sworn in early Thursday and proceeded to take part in the president’s daily intelligence briefing.In a statement Thursday, she said the work of the country’s intelligence agencies “has never been more vital to our nation’s security or prosperity.”NEW: Avril Haines takes the reins at @ODNIgov”Serving in this role is the honor of a lifetime” she says in statement, calling the intel community “the very best this country has to offer…patriots of extraordinary talent & expertise, who work tirelessly to protect our nation” https://t.co/yHZSiaVtot— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 21, 2021Despite the confirmation of Haines and Austin, additional critical positions – at the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and at the Central Intelligence Agency, remain unfilled.The Senate is also expected to move on other key nominees, such as former Ambassador William Burns, tapped to run the Central Intelligence Agency.“Even as power changes hands from one administration to the other, the work of keeping our nation safe must not be paused or be disrupted,” new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told fellow lawmakers late Thursday, urging them to move with haste.“Foreign adversaries will seek to exploit this period of transition, and we cannot allow America’s military, intelligence and national security policy to be disrupted by staffing delays,” he said.
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