Energy Secretary nominee breezes through committee vote

Energy Secretary nominee Ernest Moniz easily cleared his first hurdle in the Senate, securing nearly unanimous support from the chamber's energy committee. With a vote of 21 to 1 in favor of the pick, Moniz's nomination will move on for consideration by the full Senate. It is unclear when that will take place, but Moniz is widely expected to be confirmed. Moniz, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, would replace Energy Secretary Steven Chu who announced earlier this year that he was stepping down.