By Steve Neavling
The U.S. Senate confirmed TSA Administrator David Pekoske to serve a second term on Thursday.
The Senate voted 77-18 in favor of Pekoske serving another five-year term.
“Security demands for the agency are returning, and every day are continuing to grow,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, said in a statement. “We know that we need to have continued experienced leadership, and Admiral Pekoske is well qualified for this position. He will continue to make transportation security and its modernization the nation’s number one priority as it relates to this sector.”
Pekoske pledged to “work tirelessly to ensure our nation’s transportation system remains secure and facilitates the movement of people and cargo.”
“It is a privilege to continue serving the American people alongside an incredible workforce of dedicated and highly skilled professionals,” he said in a statement.
In May, Biden said he planned to renominate Pekoske to a second term.
Former President Trump first nominated Pekoske in 2017, and his five-year term began in August 2017.
The agency has more than 600,000 employees and is tasked with security operations at nearly 440 airports nationwide.
Pekoske also served as acting secretary of Homeland Security from January 20, 2021, to February 2, 2021.
Before joining the TSA, he was the second in command at the Coast Guard.
