Marco Rubio confirmed as US Secretary of State, first member of Trump's Cabinet

Rubio, 53, introduced a bill last year proposing to treat India like US allies such as Japan, Israel, South Korea, and NATO members in technology transfers and support for its territorial integrity.
Marco Rubio
Marco RubioPhoto | AP
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WASHINGTON: Marco Rubio, the US Senator from Florida, was unanimously confirmed as Secretary of State on Monday, becoming the first member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed.

Rubio, 53, had introduced a bill in Congress last year that proposed treating India on par with US allies such as Japan, Israel, South Korea, and NATO members in terms of technology transfers and supporting India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity.

The bill also sought to bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it was found to have sponsored terrorism against India.

All 99 senators voted in favour of Rubio, including Rubio himself.

There is currently one vacancy in the Senate after Vice President J.D. Vance resigned as the US Senator from Ohio.

A US Senator from Florida since 3 January 2011, Rubio is considered a hawkish figure on China.

He is banned from entering China, which sanctioned him twice in 2020.

As the top Republican member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Rubio is the first-ever Latino to serve as US Secretary of State.

“Senator Rubio is an example of a qualified nominee we think should be confirmed quickly. Earlier today, he was unanimously reported out of committee, with full support from Democrats, and he should be quickly confirmed here on the floor,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

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“So today, I will vote yes on Senator Rubio. While I certainly do not agree with many of Senator Rubio's positions, in this instance, it is important for the new administration to have a Senate-confirmed Secretary of State as soon as possible. Republicans did the same with Secretary Hillary Clinton during the first Obama administration. It was appropriate then, and it is appropriate now,” he added.

Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed Rubio as the 72nd Secretary of State.

“We are in a time when America faces threats from nearly every corner of the world. Hostile powers from China to Russia and from North Korea to Iran have formed an authoritarian axis bent on weakening the United States. We need a principled, action-oriented chief diplomat like Marco Rubio to take them on,” he said.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin noted that he and Rubio share many similar views on foreign policy and have worked closely together in the Senate on issues like human rights, challenges related to China, and the recent sham election in Venezuela.

“When I met with him earlier this month, I reiterated the need to support Ukraine, strengthen the NATO alliance, address escalating Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and elsewhere in Europe, and the importance of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus succeeding with desperately needed reforms in Bangladesh,” he said.

Senator Chuck Grassley praised Rubio's intelligence and his deep commitment to American foreign policy, pointing to Rubio's family history, which started with immigration from Cuba and includes witnessing the fall of their homeland to a communist dictatorship that still exists today.

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The bill emphasised the importance of strengthening the US-India partnership to counter China’s influence in the region. It proposed providing India with the necessary security assistance to deter adversaries, as well as cooperating on defence, civil space, technology, medicine, and economic investments.

The bill also proposed an exemption for India from CAATSA sanctions for purchasing Russian equipment used by the Indian military, and it called for the expedited consideration of defence-related matters with India. Rubio's bill further proposed granting India the same status as US allies such as Japan, Israel, South Korea, and NATO members regarding technology transfers and military cooperation.

The bill would also require a report to Congress on Pakistan's use of offensive force, including terrorism and proxy groups, against India, and it proposed barring Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it was found to be sponsoring terrorism against India.

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