US Senate confirms Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary

WASHINGTON

The US Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, late Tuesday.

In a vote held on the Senate floor, 51 senators approved Lutnick’s nomination while 45 opposed it, securing his position as the new head of the Department of Commerce.

Lutnick, the CEO of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, is expected to play a key role in implementing Trump’s trade policies.

During a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in January, Lutnick pledged to step down from his roles at Cantor Fitzgerald and other business interests within 90 days of his confirmation.

At the same hearing, he emphasized the need for fairer trade practices, arguing that tariffs could be used to establish reciprocity, fairness and respect in international trade.