Senate confirms 6 for Obama's cabinet, but makes Clinton wait
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | 4:12 PM ET
CBC News
The objection of a single Republican senator thwarted the plans of Hillary Clinton to be confirmed as U.S. secretary of state on Tuesday.
Just after 3 p.m. ET, the U.S. Senate swiftly endorsed six members of President Barack Obama's cabinet, but put off a vote on Clinton's confirmation for one day because Republican John Cornyn of Texas objected to a unanimous voice vote in her case.
Cornyn said he continues to have concerns over non-Americans who might be making large donations to the charitable foundation run by Clinton's husband, former president Bill Clinton.
That means a roll-call vote to confirm Hillary Clinton as Obama's foreign envoy will be held on Wednesday.
Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, predicted earlier Tuesday that "she will receive overwhelming bipartisan support" at that time.
The cabinet members confirmed Tuesday were:
- Steven Chu, energy secretary.
- Tom Vilsack, agriculture secretary.
- Arne Duncan, education secretary.
- Ken Salazar, interior secretary.
- Janet Napolitano, secretary of homeland security.
- Peter Orszag, head of the White House budget office.
Last week, the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee voted 16-1 to endorse Clinton as the next secretary of state. A Republican senator from Louisiana on the committee cast the only vote against her nomination.
Clinton was Obama's chief rival during the Democratic presidential primary.
With files from the Associated Press
