WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday officially confirmed Christine Wormuth by unanimous consent to be the first female secretary of the Army, following a bizarre procedural delay that pushed back the history making moment.
Wormuth initially was confirmed by the U.S. Senate Wednesday night by unanimous consent, until Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked to reverse that decision a few hours later.
Schumer has yet to explain why Wormuth's initial confirmation on Wednesday night was effectively undone. According to Politico, a Senate Armed Services Committee aide said it was due to "a mix-up on the floor."
Once the Senate returned Thursday morning, Wormuth was again confirmed by unanimous consent.
Wormuth, who led President Joe Biden's transition team at the Pentagon, got an overwhelmingly warm reception earlier this month from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
She becomes one of the more powerful officials in a defense establishment long dominated by men, and is the second woman named to a top Pentagon role by Biden. The deputy secretary of defense is Kathleen Hicks.
During a hearing earlier this month, she told Congress combating sexual assault and harassment in the Army is a top priority and there needs to be more training to encourage soldiers to step in when they see bad behavior by others.
The Army’s handling of sexual assaults and other violence has come under significant scrutiny in the aftermath of a series of crimes, including murders and suicides last year at Fort Hood, Texas. A review panel found that military leaders at the post were not adequately dealing with high rates of sexual assault and harassment and were utterly neglecting the sexual assault prevention program.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
