Senate Confirms Prtizker as Commerce Secretary

Billionaire Chicago businesswoman

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to approve billionaire Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker to lead the U.S. Commerce Department, where she has promised to serve as a bridge between the White House and the business community.

The Senate backed President Barack Obama's choice of Pritzker by a vote of 97-1, with independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont casting the only dissenting vote.

Pritzker, an heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune and one of the wealthiest Americans, was national finance chair of Obama's 2008 campaign and co-chair of his 2012 re-election bid.