Almost eight years in the past, one other Trump administration cupboard secretary barely survived her affirmation vote, advancing solely after a vp’s tiebreaker vote.
That nominee was Betsy DeVos, the rich Republican donor who had virtually no expertise in public schooling and who was confirmed to steer the Division of Training.
On Feb. 7, 2017, two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, turned towards Mr. Trump’s decide for the job and voted towards her. However with out a third Republican to hitch their ranks, Ms. Devos was finally confirmed on a 51-to-50 vote.
It was the primary time a vp — on this case, Vice President Mike Pence — had been summoned to the Capitol to interrupt a tie on a cupboard nomination.
On Friday, Pete Hegseth turned the second particular person to be confirmed to a cupboard secretary publish when Vice President JD Vance forged the deciding vote, making certain he would be the subsequent protection secretary. Ms. Murkowski and Ms. Collins additionally voted towards him, together with Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky.
Democrats argued that allegations of sexual misconduct, abusive habits, public drunkenness and monetary mismanagement of two nonprofit veterans teams made Mr. Hegseth unqualified and unfit to supervise the nation’s 1.3 million lively responsibility troops and the Pentagon’s almost $850 billion price range.
