A new assistant Interior secretary may owe his political promotion to an Oregon senator’s newborn twins.

Lyle Laverty, former director of Colorado State Parks, was confirmed this week as assistant Interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. He will oversee the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, among other duties.

Laverty’s confirmation came as his chief political opponent _ Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. _ was away from the Capitol celebrating the birth Friday of a twin boy and girl.

Wyden’s absence allowed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a vote on Laverty’s nomination, despite a hold Wyden had placed on Laverty because of concerns about ethics violations at the Interior Department.

Without Wyden there to object, the Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed Laverty’s nomination late Monday on a voice vote.

Wyden was not available for comment, but his chief of staff, Josh Kardon, said Reid “worked very hard to encourage a resolution and was patient for several months, but he was receiving pressure from a couple of Democratic senators and the administration to move forward on this. We don’t second-guess his decisions in the conduct of his very challenging job.”

A spokesman for Reid, D-Nev., declined to comment Tuesday. Reid had been pushing for a vote on Laverty’s nomination, citing pressure from the Bush administration and senators in Colorado and other states.

A group of environmental activists had urged Reid to hold off, saying it was unfair to vote on the nomination while Wyden was away.

Steve Pedery, conservation director of Oregon Wild, an environmental group, compared Reid’s action to “tackling the quarterback from behind _ and he’s on your team.”

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne hailed the Senate’s action, saying Laverty’s long experience in park and natural resource management will enable him to do an outstanding job.”