Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to be the subsequent secretary of state, making him the primary of President Trump’s Cupboard picks to obtain congressional approval.
Rubio, a senator since 2011, was confirmed throughout a ground vote by the total Senate Monday night time, a number of hours after Trump took his oath of workplace earlier within the day. The complete Senate ground vote occurred following a separate vote by the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, which additionally voted unanimously in favor of Rubio’s nomination Monday.
Rubio enters his function as secretary of state with a robust international coverage background as a longtime member of the Senate’s Overseas Relations and Intelligence Committees. He’s additionally a first-generation Cuban American.
DESANTIS ANNOUNCES CHOICE FOR SENATE APPOINTMENT AFTER RUBIO’S EXPECTED RESIGNATION
Marco Rubio at President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, forward of his affirmation vote by the Senate’s Overseas Relations Committee and later by the total Senate.
His street to affirmation has been much less controversial than a lot of Trump’s different Cupboard picks. At Rubio’s first affirmation listening to final week in entrance of the Overseas Relations Committee, the committee’s top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, stated she thought Rubio possessed “the skills” and is “well-qualified” to function the subsequent secretary of state. She echoed this sentiment Monday night as effectively earlier than the total Senate vote.
“I’ve had a good working relationship with Sen. Rubio for many years, and I was very impressed during his hearing by his grasp of policy,” Shaheen stated Monday night. “While we may not always agree, I believe he has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to be secretary of state.”
Rubio expressed throughout his preliminary affirmation listening to final week that below Trump the State Division’s “top priority” might be to place America first.
“This will not be easy,” Rubio stated. “And it will be impossible without a strong and a confident America that engages in the world, putting our core national interests, once again, above all else.”
Rubio will face some main challenges heading into his new function, notably the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas terrorists wave to Gazans throughout Sunday’s launch of three Israeli hostages. (TPS-IL)
Rubio described the preventing between Ukraine and Russia as a “stalemate” that “has to end” throughout his affirmation listening to final week, including that below Trump’s proposed peace deal each international locations must make “concessions.” In the meantime, regardless of Trump’s previous criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO), Rubio referred to as the alliance “very important” and insisted that Trump was additionally a NATO supporter.
On Gaza, Rubio supported Israel’s actions to defend itself towards Hamas however stopped in need of indicating by some means if he thought Israel’s annexation of elements of the West Financial institution was one thing he supported.
“The idea would be that there not be conflict and the people could live side-by-side with one another without being in conflict and with the ability to pursue prosperity,” Rubio stated. “Sadly and unfortunately the conditions for that to exist have not been in place for a substantial period of time.”
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) walks on the stage throughout Day 2 of the Republican Nationwide Conference (RNC), on the Fiserv Discussion board in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Rubio additionally repeatedly singled out China throughout his remarks in entrance of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee final week. “We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order. And they took advantage of all its benefits. But they ignored all its obligations and responsibilities,” Rubio posited at his listening to. “Instead, they have lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their way to global superpower status, at our expense.”
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Whereas Rubio didn’t face vital opposition to his affirmation, some Trump-aligned Republicans have expressed disdain over Rubio’s willingness to certify the outcomes of the 2020 election that Trump alleged was “stolen” from him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been an outspoken supporter of much less U.S. intervention, additionally questioned Rubio’s hawkish stance on American intervention amid his affirmation to be secretary of state.
