The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm Penny Pritzker, a billionaire Chicago businesswoman and close ally of President Barack Obama, as U.S. Commerce secretary. The Hyatt Hotels Corp. H +1.19% heiress won unanimous approval from the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this month after facing questions about use of offshore tax havens and opposition from a union critical of Hyatt's labor practices. Obama nominated the 54-year-old Pritzker in May for the post, saying she would focus on creating middle-class jobs and growing the U.S. economy. Pritzker's nomination drew 97 yes votes and one no vote, from Sen. Bernard Sanders, a Vermont independent.
Update: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-5-richest-cabinet-members-of-all-time-2013-06-25
Pritzker’s fortune is estimated at $1.85 billion, much of it inherited from her family’s ownership of the Hyatt
H
+0.85%
hotel chain and other real estate holdings.
Pritzker’s wealth didn’t count against her in the Senate, which
studiously avoided examining the grimier side of her investments and
public record.
But her wealth certainly helped her to get the job, which has often been granted as a trophy to the president’s most successful financial backer.
Pritzker may be a proud member of the Forbes 400 list of America’s
wealthy elite, but she isn’t the wealthiest person to ever serve in the
Cabinet.
Here are the five richest people who have held a Cabinet job:
More stacking of the Cabinet with Women appointees. I think this is a wonderful thing of course, only that I would have more confidence if these appointees we're not stanch allies of the current administration but instead independent thinkers...Key word thinkers. Is it a prerequisite that theses Cabinet hopefuls run on the Jobs meme and the Middle class is in my prayers BS? shes a Billionaire many times over, us plebes don't even exist in her eyes, we are just low life bottom feeders.
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