Senate approves Ohioan Cordray to head consumer bureau

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to confirm Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as senators approved the first of a batch of President Barack Obama's nominations freed for votes by a bipartisan agreement.

The 66-34 vote today came hours after Senate leaders worked out a deal freeing up seven stalled appointments for the consumer bureau and other agencies for simple majority votes by the chamber. In exchange, Democrats agreed to abandon, for now, an effort to change Senate rules to weaken the minority party's ability to block nominations, and Obama agreed to submit two different nominees for two labor posts.

Obama first nominated Cordray for the consumer job in 2011. But Republicans blocked a vote, demanding that Obama first agree to change the agency's structure and financing.

The president then named Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general, to the job in January 2012 with a recess appointment, which does not require Senate approval. That appointment was to expire in January.

This morning, the Senate voted 71-29 to end GOP delaying tactics that had prevented a vote on Cordray's confirmation.