Senate confirms Marty Walsh as Biden’s Labor secretary

The Senate on Monday confirmed Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to lead President Biden’s Labor Department — the final Cabinet official who can be confirmed, for now.

Senators voted 68-29 on Walsh’s nomination, after he easily cleared a procedural hurdle late last week. 

Walsh is likely the final Cabinet pick Biden will get confirmed before the Senate takes a two-week break.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) touted that the chamber is setting a faster pace for confirming Biden’s Cabinet than the Obama or Trump administrations.

“With everything else going on, this Senate has confirmed President Biden’s Cabinet faster than during both of the prior two administrations, one a Democrat, one a Republican,” Schumer said.

“And every single member of President Biden’s Cabinet has received a bipartisan vote in favor of their confirmation,” Schumer added.

Walsh’s confirmation makes him the 21st member of Biden’s Cabinet, some of whom do not require Senate confirmation. 

There are still two vacancies: Eric Lander has been nominated to be director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, but still needs to get through the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

The Senate is also waiting for Biden to name his second pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget after withdrawing Neera Tanden’s nomination. Tanden was struggling to get the 50 votes needed to be confirmed after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced his opposition.

The vote on Walsh, a former labor union leader, comes after he testified and was advanced out of committee last month. 

Walsh’s confirmation comes amid a health pandemic that has put the safety of front-line workers under a spotlight, a topic he touched on during his hearing.

“We are depending on working men and women all across this country to keep us going — as they always have done. They are depending on us. I believe we must act with urgency to meet this moment to strengthen and empower our workforce as we rebuild,” he said.

Walsh has been mayor of Boston since 2014 and before that was a member of the Massachusetts State House since 1997.