Senate has voted 58-41 in favor of confirming Chuck Hagel as the next secretary of Defense, ending a long, drawn-out battle between members of Congress and the White House. The Senate ended its filibuster of the Hagel nomination earlier on Tuesday, allowing the vote to go on. A number of key Republicans who had been blocking Hagel’s nomination, including John McCain, Tom Coburn, and Kelly Ayotte, voted to end the filibuster. It's likely Hagel will be confirmed by the end of the day.
