WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s choice for budget director won Senate confirmation Thursday after a senator ended her protest over the administration’s moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Senate confirmed by voice vote Jacob Lew as director of the Office of Management and Budget. A deputy secretary of state, Lew served as budget director for nearly three years in the Clinton administration.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., had held up his confirmation to protest the six-month moratorium on deep-water oil and gas drilling in the gulf. On Thursday, she said some shallow water permits had been recently issued. She said she had a commitment from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to provide some clarity to the rules.
Denver Post wire services
