Pete Buttigieg has been confirmed as the US secretary of transportation.
The former small-city mayor and Joe Biden's one-time rival for the White House will head the Department of Transportation, including its shipping responsibilities.
Buttigieg, 39, was approved by the full Senate on Tuesday two weeks after receiving bipartisan approval from its Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
There, he stated his support for the Jones Act, the law requiring all ships carrying cargo between US ports to be primarily built, owned, flagged and crewed domestically.
"I share your support for the Jones Act," he said, responding to a question from Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington state.
"It's so important to a maritime industry that creates hundreds of thousands of jobs as well as the shipbuilding industry here in the US."
Buttigieg's support mirrors that of Biden, which earned high marks from domestic labour unions, shipowners and shipyards last week.
The Maritime Administration and the Federal Maritime Commission, responsible for promoting and regulating US shipping respectively, are part of the transportation department.
The Maritime Administration is without a full-time administrator after Mark Buzby resigned following the Capitol riots last month.
Deputy administrator Lucinda Lessley serves as the acting head while former Trailer Bridge chief executive John McCown and Rear Admiral Mike Rodriguez are reportedly under consideration for the role.
Buttigieg takes over from Elaine Chao, whose father founded New York-based bulker owner Foremost Group.
He previously served as an intelligence officer in the US Navy before being elected mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a city of roughly 100,000 people.
He launched a bid for president ahead of the 2020 election, before dropping out of the Democratic candidate race and supporting Biden.
Buttigieg's confirmation makes him the first openly gay man to be approved by the Senate for a cabinet position.
Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, appointed another gay man, Richard Grenell, acting director of national intelligence.
