Tangherlini nomination goes to full Senate

Dan Tangherlini's bid to be the General Services Administration's permanent administrator now goes before the full Senate for consideration.

The Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee approved the nomination by voice vote on June 24. In announcing the unanimous vote, committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), praised Tangherlini's work as acting GSA administrator.

"Over the past year, Dan Tangherlini has successfully led the General Services Administration as its Acting Administrator, proving that he has the know-how and capability to lead this critical agency," Carper said in a statement. "I often talk about the need for leaders to lead by example, which means that GSA itself should be a model of efficiency. Unfortunately that has not always been the case, and I think part of the problem stems from the lack of steady and continuous leadership."

Tangherlini was appointed acting administrator after reports of a lavish spending at a 2010 conference in Las Vegas forced his predecessor, GSA administrator Martha Johnson, to resign. Tangherlini's confirmation as GSA administrator would bring badly needed stability to an agency that has had eight different leaders in as many years, Carper said.

At the same meeting, the committee also approved the nomination for Howard Shelanski to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Both nominations now head to the Senate floor, for a final votes at a time still to be determined.