Ashton Carter gets unanimous backing in Senate committee

Ashton Carter, President Obama's nominee to be the next defense secretary, got the unanimous approval of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, with a 25-0 vote. The full Senate is expected to vote on his confirmation by the end of the week before the president's day recess.

During his confirmation hearing before the Armed Services committee last week, Carter signaled his support for providing lethal arms to the Ukrainian military to defend the country against Russian-backed rebels, a position increasingly popular among members of Congress. President Obama said in a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Monday that it is one of the options on the table, but he has not yet made a decision and will pursue diplomacy with Russia for now.

Carter is a former deputy defense secretary and longtime Pentagon hand and enjoys widespread support among the Senate. Still, the Defense Department will face a number of significant challenges in the final two years of Mr. Obama's presidency, including multiple war theaters, what to do with Guantanamo Bay, a rising China, increasing cybersecurity threats and budget decreases.

Loretta Lynch, the president's nominee to succeed Eric Holder at the helm of the Justice Department, is scheduled to get a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. However she already faces opposition from several senators over her support for Mr. Obama's executive actions on immigration, and her confirmation hearing was far more contentious as members aired their grievances against Holder.

If her committee vote goes forward on time and she is approved, she will likely get a vote from the full Senate sometime next month.

CBS News Producer John Nolen contributed to this story.