The Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen on Tuesday as Secretary of Homeland Security by a vote of 62-37. The tally comes after President Donald Trump nominated Nielsen once John Kelly moved to become Trump’s chief of staff. She previously was the White House’s deputy chief of staff where she was widely considered a close Kelly ally. Nielsen was chosen by the White House as the preferred nominee in early 2017 but waffled on the decision, which stalled the nomination of DHS leadership for months. Nielsen’s confirmation comes despite criticism on her relative lack of leadership experience, independence and ethics that hampered her nomination process. Despite increasing prominence in the national conversation, cybersecurity was a secondary topic during Nielsen’s confirmation hearing. The security of voting machines, the electric grid and the nation’s critical infrastructure took a relative backseat to climate change, border security and immigration enforcement. Senate committee votes to nominate Nielsen were delayed multiple times […]
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