US Senate Confirms Barbara Barrett as New Air Force Secretary

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Senate has voted in favour of confirming Barabara Barrett as the next secretary of Air Force, the Senate press gallery said in a statement.

"85-7 Senate CONFIRMED Barbara Barrett to be Secretary of the Air Force," the press gallery said via Twitter on Wednesday. "Senators voting against: Blumenthal, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Markey, Merkley, Smith and Wyden."

85-7 #Senate CONFIRMED Barbara Barrett to be Secretary of the Air Force.

Senators voting against: Blumenthal, Duckworth, Gillibrand, Markey, Merkley, Smith and Wyden.

— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) October 16, 2019

Barrett, a former chairwoman of the nonprofit Aerospace Corporation, was nominated by President Donald Trump in May to replace departing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.

In early March, former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced she was leaving her post to become the next president of the University of Texas at El Paso.

Prior to becoming US Secretary of the Air Force, Wilson served as president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology since 2013.