The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Eugene Scalia, the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, to lead the Department of Labor.
Senators voted 53-44 along party lines to confirm Scalia.
On Tuesday, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved attorney Scalia’s nomination, 12-11, which cleared the way for the full Senate to vote.
Committee chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said Scalia’s work as a law firm partner on labor, employment, and regulatory matters makes him qualified to lead the department. Scalia also served for a year as the Labor Department’s top lawyer during the George W. Bush administration.
“Businesses and workers need a secretary of Labor who will steer the department with a steady hand,” Alexander said before the vote.
Scalia will leave his position as a partner at the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher to head up the DOL.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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