Geithner Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Treasury Chief

Timothy Geithner was approved by the Senate to be Treasury secretary, putting him at the center of a global effort to arrest the financial crisis and end the longest U.S. recession in a quarter-century.

After two hours of debate, the vote was 60-34 in his favor, the closest post-World War II margin for a Treasury secretary. Geithner, 47, overcame opposition from Republicans who objected on the grounds that he underpaid federal taxes in previous years. Some Democrats also voted against him.