Yesterday, February 26, the Senate confirmed former Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) as the next Secretary of Defense by a vote of 58-41. Hagel, who replaces outgoing Secretary Leon Panetta, served in the Senate from 1997 until his retirement in 2009. He served on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee, which provides advice and counsel to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense on matters concerning defense policy. Later today, the Senate is also expected to confirm former White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew as the next Treasury Secretary to replace outgoing Secretary Timothy Geithner.