Marco Rubio wins unanimous US Senate approval to be secretary of state
Marco Rubio, who succeeds Antony Blinken, is known for his hawkish stance toward Latin American authoritarian states and China
The US Senate unanimously approved Marco Rubio as secretary of state on Monday, putting the fellow senator on the front line of President Donald Trump’s often confrontational diplomacy.
Rubio, who is the first Hispanic and first fluent Spanish speaker to assume the position of top US diplomat, is Trump’s first cabinet nominee to be confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, only hours after the inauguration.
Unusually in a highly partisan era, Rubio was confirmed 99-0, with several senators from the rival Democratic Party describing Rubio as a friend. One Senate seat was made vacant by the inauguration of Vice-President J.D. Vance.
“Given the uncertainty around the globe right now, it is in America’s interest not to skip a beat and to fill this role immediately,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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“While we may not always agree, I believe he has the skills, knowledge and qualifications to be secretary of state,” she said on the Senate floor.
