Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was ceremonially sworn in at the White House by Vice President Kamala Harris after becoming the first black defense secretary, a joint appearance that underscored the new administration’s priority to fill top political roles with diverse candidates.
Like Austin, Harris is the first black person to hold her respective position. She is also the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to hold the post.
On Monday, Austin, President Biden’s second Cabinet official to be confirmed, took his oath from Harris in the White House’s Roosevelt Room, as his wife Charlene Austin held the Bible.
Biden, Austin, Harris, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley met earlier in the day, shortly before the president signed an Executive Order repealing former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. The rule is part of Biden’s “Day One” agenda, one of a host of executive actions press secretary Jen Psaki said to expect in the administration’s early days.
Austin, a 41-year veteran of the Army who retired in 2016, was commander of U.S. Central Command from 2013 to 2016 under President Barack Obama and led U.S. military strategy in Asia and the Middle East.
He required a waiver to bypass the seven-year rule that typically precludes military officers from serving. Only two other nominees have received such a waiver: George Marshall in the Truman administration and James Mattis in the Trump administration.
He was confirmed by a 93-2 vote, despite some bipartisan concerns over appointing another recently retired general to lead the department. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Mike Lee of Utah both voted no.
During his hearing testimony last week, Austin identified the coronavirus as the “most immediate” challenge facing the country. He also said he would “fight” to “rid our ranks of racists and extremists.
He issued his first directive in a memo Saturday instructing senior military leaders to tackle sexual misconduct as a priority. He wrote that the military could not succeed if “we also have to battle enemies within the ranks.”
