Washington — Just hours after Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the U.S. Senate confirmed a half dozen cabinet nominees by voice vote, the Associated Press reported this afternoon.
Among the new cabinet officers were Steven Chu as energy secretary, Arne Duncan as education secretary, Janet Napolitano to lead the department of homeland security, Eric K. Shinseki to head veterans affairs, Ken Salazar as secretary of the interior, and Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture.
Peter Orszag was also confirmed by the Senate to head the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, which is not a cabinet post. —Eric Kelderman
