Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as labor secretary

Senate approves the nomination

The Senate voted 47-41 Wednesday night to confirm Keith Sonderling as secretary of Labor. Sonderling had been serving as acting secretary, and the vote makes him the department’s permanent leader. The confirmation fills a Cabinet position that had officially been empty since April, even while Sonderling carried out the job in an acting role.

All Republicans present voted for the nomination, while all Democrats voted against it. The 47-41 tally gave Sonderling the majority required for confirmation. The result was enough to approve the nomination despite unified Democratic opposition, with every Republican who was present voting yes.

What the confirmation changes

Before the vote, Sonderling already held the department’s top job on an acting basis, but the Cabinet seat itself remained officially vacant. Senate approval changes that status by installing him in the post permanently rather than leaving him in temporary leadership.

The vote addresses the formal vacancy in President Trump’s Cabinet and gives the Department of Labor a Senate-confirmed secretary. It does not reflect bipartisan support: The party breakdown was complete, with Republicans present on one side and Democrats on the other. Because confirmation required a majority rather than support from both parties, the 47 votes in favor were sufficient against 41 votes in opposition. Sonderling now moves from acting secretary to permanent secretary after the Senate completed its confirmation vote.