The Senate Armed Services Committee votes unanimously to approve Robert Gates as the new secretary of defense. In his sole day of hearings, Gates faced questions about Iraq and U.S. troop levels.
The full Senate will vote on installing Gates as the replacement for Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday.
In the public portion of the hearing, Gates said that while he does not believe the United States is winning the war in Iraq, he agrees with Gen. Peter Pace that the United States is not losing it, either.
Gates said that all options for Iraq are on the table. And he frequently said that he would consult with U.S. commanders in Iraq to get their sense of what's needed.
Senators praised Gates for his pledges of independence. But some Democrats asked whether Gates will actually have a receptive audience at the White House.
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