New leader for the Transportation Security Administration has been confirmed by the Senate after the recent security failures caused concerns among US authorities.
The Senate voted 81-1 on Monday to tap Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger, who was nominated by President Barack Obama in April, as the new administrator of the agency.
“Vice Admiral Neffenger, with decades of service to our nation, is a proven leader who has demonstrated an understanding of the severity of the issues at the TSA,” said Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Chairman Ron Johnson.
“I encourage Vice Admiral Neffenger to think outside the box as he works as effectively and efficiently as possible to improve the protection of our nation’s transportation system and to expedite legal commerce and travel.”
Former TSA director John Pistole left his post in December following four and half years leading the agency which has over 60,000 on its payroll, who work for more than 450 airports.