COMRADE

Rex Tillerson Approved by Senate Committee

By 11-10 vote down party lines.

Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson’s nomination for Secretary of State was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 11 to 10—a straight party line vote that saw all Democrats oppose his nomination.The issue now moves to the full Senate, which will soon take up the nomination—and the makeup of the Republican-controlled chamber means that his confirmation is now all but assured.Tillerson had faced a potential roadblock from Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a defense hawk who had expressed displeasure over Tillerson's confirmation hearing answers on Russia, Ukraine, Syria and the Philippines.But on Monday morning, Rubio said that he would ultimately support the nominee, saying that despite these issues, he “must balance these concerns with his extensive experience and success in international commerce, and my belief that the president is entitled to significant deference when it comes to his choices for the cabinet.”Tillerson's nomination also received a boost when Senate hawks John McCain and Lindsey Graham announced Sunday that they would support him.—Tim Mak