Senate Approves Slater

The Senate by a 98-0 vote Thursday approved Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater to be the next transportation secretary.

The move leaves two full Cabinet department nominees awaiting Senate confirmation: Energy Secretary-designate Federico Pena and Labor Secretary-designate Alexis Herman.

The nominations of four others to non-Cabinet agencies also are pending: Bill Richardson to be U.N. ambassador, Anthony Lake to be CIA director, Charlene Barshefsky to be U.S. trade representative and Aida Alvarez to be SBA administrator.