After months of indecision, the U.S. Senate has approved Dr. Vivek Murthy as surgeon general. Murthy proved a controversial pick because of his comments concerning the NRA and gun control reform.

The Senate voted in favor of Murthy with a slim majority in a mostly partisan vote in a 51 to 43 vote on Monday, according to Politico.

The vote would not have succeeded if Democrats had not changed the Senate's rules last November. One Republican, Mark Kirk of Illinois, voted with the Democratic majority. Three Democrats -- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia - opposed Murthy's confirmation.

For the first time in 17 months, the U.S. has a surgeon general since Regina Benjamin stepped down in 2013.

Murthy, a Yale-educated doctor from Massachusetts, was opposed by the NRA because of his advocacy in favor of gun control reform as well as his calling gun violence a public health issue, reports Bloomberg.

However, Murthy is more than just a gun control activist. In 2012, Murthy and other doctors formed Doctors for America in 2012, a group advocating in favor of Obamacare.

Still, the NRA has painted Murthy as a virulent anti-gun rights activist at the expense of the nation, which in recent months has gone through health crisis like Ebola without a surgeon general.

In a letter dated Feb. 26 addressed to the Senate leadership from both parties, the NRA expressed its opposition to Murthy's confirmation. They cited his work with Doctors for America and advocacy for gun control as reasons to oppose the doctor. The NRA said Murthy recommended for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund "anti-gun advocacy research."

According to Talking Points Memo, the NRA continued to actively pressure legislators to not approve Murthy and stall his confirmation vote.

Following Murthy's confirmation, the pro-gun lobby expressed its displeasure.

"The NRA's position hasn't changed. America's next surgeon general should not be a political operative whose professional inexperience has been a source of bipartisan concern," NRA spokesperson Andrew Arulanandan told TPM.

However, President Barack Obama welcomed Murthy's confirmation.

"I applaud the Senate for confirming Vivek Murthy to be our country's next Surgeon General," he said in a statement. "As 'America's Doctor,' Vivek will hit the ground running to make sure every American has the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe. He'll bring his lifetime of experience promoting public health to bear on priorities ranging from stopping new diseases to helping our kids grow up healthy and strong,"

The president added that Murthy will help in the battle against Ebola.

"Vivek's confirmation makes us better positioned to save lives around the world and protect the American people here at home," Obama continued.

Related