Antonin Scalia's son Eugene Scalia is Trump's new labor secretary

Eugene Scalia.
(Image credit: The Associated Press)

The House may be wrapped up in whistleblowers and impeachment, but the Senate is still plodding along.

Just a few hours after a whistleblower report about President Trump's Ukraine phone call was released and acting Director of Intelligence Joseph Maguire testified about it, the Senate confirmed Eugene Scalia as Trump's next labor secretary. Scalia was confirmed along a 53-44 party line vote, replacing Alex Acosta, who resigned amid allegations he mishandled Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse case.

During confirmation hearings, Scalia was questioned about an op-ed he wrote in college that said lesbian parents are not "as equally acceptable or desirable as the traditional family life." Scalia said his views on the subject have since changed, per The New York Times.

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Scalia's name is no doubt familiar, as he's the son of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Eugene Scalia has a similarly conservative background and has defended businesses as a corporate lawyer, namely representing SeaWorld in a case involving an orca killing one of the marine park's trainers. SeaWorld ended up losing, but Scalia did win over then-federal judge Brett Kavanaugh, the lone dissenter in the case.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.