WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Marty Walsh, the mayor of Boston and a former union leader, as the next labor secretary, boosting President Joe Biden’s efforts to expand protections for workers and delivering a win for the country’s organized labor movement.
Walsh was confirmed by a 68-29 vote.
There are a few finishing touches for Biden’s Cabinet-level appointees. The Senate has yet to confirm Eric Lander as Biden’s top science adviser, and the White House still hasn’t named anyone to head his Budget office, after Neera Tanden withdrew her nomination amid controversy. The White House is facing pressure from lawmakers on Capitol Hill to name Shalanda Young, the current nominee for deputy budget director, to the top role.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has set up confirmation votes this week for Young, along with Vivek Murthy for surgeon general and Rachel Leland Levine for assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, among others, before the Senate adjourns for recess until mid-April.
Beneath the Cabinet heads that have been confirmed are numerous sub-departments that remain leaderless. Many have only acting heads in place even as the administration faces a number of pressing situations in addition to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
