DHS Secretary Confirmed
"In Jeh, our dedicated homeland security professionals will have a strong leader with a deep understanding of the threats we face and a proven ability to work across agencies and complex organizations to keep America secure," President Obama said in a White House statement.
The U.S. Senate voted 78-16 on Dec. 16 to confirm Jeh Charles Johnson as the new secretary of Homeland Security.
Johnson, a lawyer who served as general counsel for the U.S. Department of Defense during President Obama's first term, is a graduate of Morehouse College and Columbia Law School. He is the fifth person to hold the office of DHS secretary. Obama nominated him in October 2013.
"I am pleased the Senate has confirmed Jeh Johnson as our next Secretary of Homeland Security with broad bipartisan support," the president said in a statement posted on the White House website. "In Jeh, our dedicated homeland security professionals will have a strong leader with a deep understanding of the threats we face and a proven ability to work across agencies and complex organizations to keep America secure. Jeh has been a critical member of my national security team, and he helped to shape some of our most successful national security policies and strategies. As Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh will play a leading role in our efforts to protect the homeland against terrorist attacks, adapt to changing threats, stay prepared for natural disasters, strengthen our border security, and make our immigration system fairer – while upholding the values, civil liberties, and laws that make America great. I look forward to Jeh's counsel and sound judgment for years to come."