WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Jeh Johnson on Monday as secretary of homeland security, the fourth person to lead the sprawling domestic safety agency since its inception after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Johnson, 56, the former general counsel for the Pentagon, won confirmation on an overwhelming vote, 78 to 16, as the Senate continued churning through an end-of-session batch of nominees to fill President Barack Obama’s Cabinet and the federal judiciary.
Unlike some nominees who have encountered Republican opposition, Johnson won the votes of 23 GOP senators, a majority, and all 55 members of the Democratic caucus.
