Retired Army General Lloyd Austin makes history for becoming the first black American to be confirmed by the U.S Senate to serve as the Secretary of Defense.
He won 93 votes, far more than the simple majority needed, Reuters reported.
Lawmakers from both republican and democratic parties were pleased to have voted for Lloyd Austin.
“General Austin is an exceptionally qualified leader with a long and distinguished career in the U.S. military,” Senator Jack Reed quoted by Reuters”.
Pointing to challenges like the pandemic, China and Russia competitions, Senator James Inhofe said “We have China and Russia out there with capabilities that we didn’t really believe we would find ourselves with”.
Congress members on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a waiver that allows Austing to lead the US Pentagon, though he has not completed a seven-year waiting period after retirement, A law that guarantees civilian control of the military.
Austin is 67-years old and made a razor-sharp personality for avoiding the spotlight during his career in the military.
He was the commander in charge of the U.S troops across the Middle East and retired in 2016.
