Francis Harvey confirmed as Army secretary

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The Senate easily confirmed Francis Harvey as Army secretary Tuesday, despite some questioning of his qualifications for the position.

The 85 to 12 vote followed two hours of debate in which Senate Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., challenged Harvey's management abilities for the top civilian job in the armed service.

But such criticisms were outweighed by support for Harvey, who has ties to the Washington investment firm the Carlyle Group.

In his new role, he will manage policy as well as the Army's approximately $100 billion annual budget.

The approval came the same day that the Defense Department announced that Air Force Secretary James Roche had resigned his post, effective Jan. 20.

Roche has been the subject of controversy related to plans to acquire tanker aircraft from Boeing and is the subject of a federal probe for allegedly trading favors with an Office of Management and Budget official that oversees his agency's budget.