Washington (TDI): The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed Republican Senator Marco Rubio as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state.
The Senate approved Rubio by a unanimous 99-0 vote, shortly after the seasoned member of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees smoothly passed his confirmation hearing.
Rubio became the first of Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees to be confirmed by the Senate, just hours after the president was sworn in for a second White House tenure.
Additional votes on Trump nominees were expected this week.
Rubio, 53, is a harsh critic of China and a supporter of Israel.
The son of immigrants from Cuba, he has also supported tough measures against the Communist-ruled island and its allies, particularly the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Rubio Calls for Stronger US Policy on China, Ukraine
During his confirmation hearing, he warned that Washington must change course to avoid becoming more reliant on China, and vowed a robust foreign policy focused on US interests.
He also said it should be U.S. policy that the war in Ukraine must end.
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Rubio stated that ending the conflict would require concessions from both Russia and Ukraine, suggesting that Kyiv may need to abandon its aim of regaining all territory seized by Moscow over the past decade.
Rubio is the first person of Hispanic origin to serve as US top diplomat.
Trump began announcing his selections for cabinet posts almost as soon as he won his second term as president on November 5.
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His supporters urged the Senate to confirm all of his nominees swiftly, but some faced rigorous questioning about their experience and qualifications, even from members of his own Republican party.
