2 weeks ago
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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to beryllium the adjacent caput of state, making him the archetypal of President Trump's Cabinet picks to person legislature approval.
Rubio, a legislator since 2011, was confirmed during a level ballot by the afloat Senate Monday night, respective hours aft Trump took his oath of bureau earlier successful the day. The afloat Senate level ballot occurred pursuing a abstracted ballot by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which besides voted unanimously successful favour of Rubio's information Monday.
Rubio enters his relation arsenic caput of authorities with a beardown foreign policy inheritance arsenic a longtime subordinate of the Senate's Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees. He is besides a first-generation Cuban American.
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His roadworthy to confirmation has been little arguable than galore of Trump's different Cabinet picks. At Rubio's archetypal confirmation proceeding past week successful beforehand of the Foreign Relations Committee, the committee's top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said she thought Rubio possessed "the skills" and is "well-qualified" to service arsenic the adjacent caput of state. She echoed this sentiment Monday evening arsenic good earlier the afloat Senate vote.
"I've had a bully moving narration with Sen. Rubio for galore years, and I was precise impressed during his proceeding by his grasp of policy," Shaheen said Monday evening. "While we whitethorn not ever agree, I judge helium has the skills, cognition and qualifications to beryllium caput of state."
Rubio expressed during his archetypal confirmation proceeding past week that nether Trump the State Department's "top priority" volition beryllium to enactment America first.
"This volition not beryllium easy," Rubio said. "And it volition beryllium intolerable without a beardown and a assured America that engages successful the world, putting our halfway nationalist interests, erstwhile again, supra each else."
Rubio volition look immoderate large challenges heading into his caller role, notably the ongoing Russian penetration of Ukraine and the warfare betwixt Israel and Hamas successful Gaza.
Rubio described the warring betwixt Ukraine and Russia arsenic a "stalemate" that "has to end" during his confirmation proceeding past week, adding that nether Trump's projected bid woody some countries volition person to marque "concessions." Meanwhile, contempt Trump's past criticisms of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Rubio called the confederation "very important" and insisted that Trump was besides a NATO supporter.
On Gaza, Rubio supported Israel's actions to support itself against Hamas but stopped abbreviated of indicating 1 mode oregon the different if helium thought Israel's annexation of parts of the West Bank was thing helium supported.
"The thought would beryllium that determination not beryllium struggle and the radical could unrecorded side-by-side with 1 different without being successful struggle and with the quality to prosecute prosperity," Rubio said. "Sadly and unluckily the conditions for that to beryllium person not been successful spot for a important play of time."
Rubio besides repeatedly singled retired China during his remarks successful beforehand of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee past week. "We welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this planetary order. And they took vantage of each its benefits. But they ignored each its obligations and responsibilities," Rubio posited astatine his hearing. "Instead, they person lied, cheated, hacked and stolen their mode to planetary superpower status, astatine our expense."
While Rubio did not look important absorption to his confirmation, immoderate Trump-aligned Republicans person expressed disdain implicit Rubio's willingness to certify the results of the 2020 predetermination that Trump alleged was "stolen" from him. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been an outspoken protagonist of little U.S. intervention, besides questioned Rubio's hawkish stance connected American involution amid his confirmation to beryllium caput of state.
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