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Linda McMahon Approved to Head Small Business Administration

The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon as head of the Small Business Administration.
Image: US-POLITICS-TRUMP-NOMINATIONS
Linda McMahon listens to opening statements during her confirmation hearing for administrator of the Small Business Administration before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee on Capitol Hill January 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan SmialowskiBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty ImagesBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP - Getty Images
By Andrew Rafferty

The Senate on Tuesday voted to confirm former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon as head of the Small Business Administration.

The bipartisan 81 to 19 confirmation vote was one of President Donald Trump’s least contentious nominations.

Related: Divided Senate Confirms Steven Mnuchin to Be Treasury Secretary

Republicans have criticized Democrats for holding up the confirmation process. The past three weeks have been filled with Senate debates and late nights as Democrats, who need GOP support to block any of Trump’s nominees, opposed nominations to key cabinet posts.

However, senators on both sides of the aisle expressed support for McMahon’s ability to bolster America’s small businesses.

Sen. Murphy: McMahon 'unquestionably qualified' to run SBA

Dec. 8, 201609:53
Andrew Rafferty

Andrew Rafferty has been a political reporter for NBCNews.com since 2013. Rafferty writes and reports on politics for the web, and shoots and produces video for all NBC platforms. 

Prior to joining NBCNews.com, Rafferty was a campaign reporter covering the 2012 presidential election. Rafferty was on the road for both the Republican primaries and general election, providing content for both the web and television. 

Rafferty began at NBC News through a fellowship at "Meet The Press." 

He is from Buffalo, N.Y., and attended John Carroll University in Ohio.