The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted unanimously to confirm outgoing Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief Leon Panetta as the new U.S. Secretary of Defense. Panetta's confirmation means that he will be replacing the outgoing Secretary Robert Gates. Panetta, who has held a variety of senior posts in Washington dating back decades, was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to head the Pentagon. Panetta is expected to start his new job on July 1. General David Petraeus is set to take over Panetta's role at the CIA.