U.S. Senate confirms Tillerson as
secretary of state
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[February 02, 2017]
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate
confirmed Rex Tillerson as President Donald Trump's secretary of state
on Wednesday, filling a key spot on the Republican's national security
team despite concerns about the former Exxon Mobil Corp chief executive
officer's ties to Russia.
The vote, mostly along party lines, was by far the closest in at least
half a century.
Fifty-six senators backed Tillerson, and 43 voted no. Every Republican
favored Tillerson, along with four members of the Democratic caucus,
Senators Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Manchin and Mark Warner as well as Angus
King, an independent.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons did not vote.
Tillerson's predecessor in the position, John Kerry, was confirmed by 94
to 3. Condoleezza Rice, the last secretary of state nominated by a
Republican, was confirmed by 85-13.
Senate Democrats had tried, but failed, to delay the vote on Tillerson
because of Trump's executive order banning immigration from seven mostly
Muslim countries and temporarily halting the entry of refugees.
They said they wanted to ask Tillerson more questions about the issue
after Trump signed the order on Friday, prompting protests and chaos at
airports across the country and uncertainty and disruption for travelers
around the world.
But Republicans hold a majority of 52 seats in the 100-member Senate,
and so far have confirmed all of the six Trump nominees who have come up
for votes.
Senators had also expressed concerns over Tillerson's ties to Russia
after the executive spent years there working for the oil company. Some
faulted him for failing to promise to recuse himself from matters
related to Exxon Mobil businesses for his entire term as secretary of
state rather than only the one year required by law.
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New U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks after his
swearing-in ceremony at the Oval Office of the White House in
Washington, DC, U.S., February 1, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Tillerson, 64, retired as chairman and chief executive of Exxon
Mobil at the end of 2016 after a four-decade career at the company.
Republicans and other Tillerson supporters said they thought he
would be a strong leader as the country's top diplomat, citing his
experience running a giant corporation operating on six continents.
They also said it was important to finalize Trump's national
security team quickly, to address international crises and reassure
allies wondering about the new president's "America First" foreign
policy.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle Additional reporting by Susan
Cornwell; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and James Dalgleish)
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