The Senate on Monday night unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, offering President Trump the primary member of his Cupboard on Inauguration Day.
Mr. Rubio’s resignation because the senior senator from Florida was submitted simply after the 99-0 vote.
Mr. Trump, quickly after taking his oath of workplace, formally submitted a slate of his prime nominees to the Senate on Monday afternoon, which allowed the Senate to start formally processing nominations.
Mr. Rubio was the primary of 5 Trump nominees to safe committee approval on Monday, however he was the one one to obtain a flooring vote.
The temper was jovial as Mr. Rubio huddled along with his colleagues for a closing time on the Senate flooring forward of his affirmation vote. He had earlier that night earned unanimous approval from the Senate International Relations Committee, the place he beforehand served as a senior member. The committee vote was 22-0.
Senate International Relations Chairman James E. Risch, Idaho Republican, mentioned Mr. Rubio in his affirmation listening to final week “was flawless in his presentation of American overseas coverage.”
“Our challenges within the overseas relations lane and the nationwide safety lane are monumental and complex,” he mentioned. “I can’t consider one other individual higher outfitted to sort out these points than our colleague, Marco Rubio.”
The opposite nominations that Senate committees of jurisdiction reported out on Monday included three different potential members of Mr. Trump’s nationwide safety crew: Pete Hegseth for Protection secretary, Kristi Noem for Homeland Safety secretary and John Ratcliffe for Central Intelligence Company director.
These three are anticipated to be subsequent in line for flooring motion after Mr. Rubio’s affirmation. The fifth nominee to get a committee vote, Russell Vought for White Home Workplace of Administration and Funds director, has to undergo two committees so his nomination will not be able to be thought of on the ground and would probably be decrease in precedence than the nationwide safety nominees.
All 100 senators wanted to consent to a time settlement to carry any affirmation votes on Mr. Trump’s first day in workplace. Democrats’ help for Mr. Rubio allowed his nomination to advance, however the different nominees confronted a minimum of some opposition of their committee votes.
“Democrats have been very clear about our method to President Trump’s nominees. We’ll neither rubber-stamp nominees we really feel are grossly unqualified nor oppose nominees that deserve severe consideration,” mentioned Senate Minority Chief Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “Senator Rubio is an instance of a certified nominee we predict must be confirmed shortly.”
