Confirmations don’t come easier than this.
The Senate approved the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be secretary of state 99-0 Monday, hours after President Trump took the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda.
Rubio, 53, is the first Latino to serve as America’s top diplomat and brings extensive foreign policy experience to the job, having served on both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“No one on this body can doubt that Marco Rubio is an intelligent man with remarkable understanding of American foreign policy and a very deep commitment to the American dream,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in remarks on the Senate floor supporting Rubio’s confirmation.
Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim noted that despite having “areas of disagreement” with Rubio, he found the former senator to be “well versed” and worthy of the role.
“Senator Rubio’s qualifications and dedication to serving our country has earned him my vote to be our next Secretary of State,” Kim said in a statement.
“In my conversations with Senator Rubio, we had areas of disagreement no doubt, but I found him to be well versed in the deep challenges our nation faces globally,” he added.
Rubio, the son of exiles from communist Cuba, argued that China is the “biggest threat” to American prosperity during his confirmation hearing last week.
“If we don’t change course, we are going to live in the world where much of what matters to us on a daily basis from our security to our health will be dependent on whether the Chinese allow us to have it or not,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
During the hearing, Rubio also affirmed the value of NATO, which Trump has repeatedly criticized, as a “very important alliance” and argued that the Russia-Ukraine war “should be brought to an end.”
“There’s no way Ukraine is also going to push these people all the way back to where they were on the eve of the invasion, just given the size dynamic,” Rubio said, calling for the US to have a “realistic” vision for how the bloody conflict should end.
The president and secretary of state are former political rivals, both men having sought the 2016 Republican nomination.
During that campaign, Trump branded Rubio “Little Marco,” while the Floridian made a suggestive dig about the purported size of his rival’s hands.
However, the two men have mended fences, with Rubio emerging as the most credible spokesman for Trump’s foreign policy vision — including calling last week during his confirmation hearing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The secretary of state position is the third highest-ranking position in the executive branch after the president and vice president.
The role is also fourth in the line of succession to serve as president, after the speaker of the House.
Rubio will be succeeded in the Senate by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, whose appointment was announced last week by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.
