Senate confirms Rex Tillerson as secretary of state
The Republican-led Senate has confirmed Rex Tillerson as President Trump’s secretary of state.
The vote was 56-43, largely along party lines.
But three Democrats voted with the GOP majority — Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Mark Warner of Virginia Angus King, an Independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats, also voted in for Trump’s pick.
The opposition of most Democrats angered Republicans, who considered the former Exxon Mobil CEO to be highly qualified for the post.
Sen. Ben Cardin, the Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat, said he voted “no” because of fears Tillerson would be a “yes man” and would not be able to prevent Trump from pursuing a misguided foreign policy that leads the country “on a march of folly.”
But Republicans easily had the numbers to push through Tillerson.
Tillerson’s close ties to Russia and President Vladimir Putin raised questions even among some Republicans, notably Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who challenged at one point challenged the nominee over whether he considered Putin a war criminal for his military moves in Ukraine and Syria.
Tillerson was given the Order of Friendship award by Putin.
With AP
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