The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted 52–46 to confirm retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, installing him as the Pentagon’s top civilian in charge of troop welfare, readiness and human-resources policy. Tata’s confirmation marks a reversal from 2020, when the chamber refused to consider him for the higher-profile policy chief post after he described then-President Barack Obama as a “terrorist” and called Islam “the most oppressive violent religion.” During a May hearing this year, Tata disavowed those comments, pledging to serve as an “apolitical leader” focused on service members and their families. No Republican senators opposed the nomination on the floor. In separate action, the Senate also confirmed Luke Pettit as assistant secretary of the Treasury for financial institutions, adding another senior official to the Trump administration’s economic team.