The US Senate today confirmed the appointment of Mark Esper as the new Secretary of Defense, ending a seven-month period during which the Pentagon did not have a permanent chief.
Esper, for whom 90 senators voted, while eight were against, will be sworn in by the end of the day.
The Pentagon has been without a chief since Jim Mattis resigned last year. After that, the head of the Pentagon for six months was Deputy Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
