Senate Confirms Mike Pompeo As Secretary Of State

Mike Pompeo is headed to the State Department. The Senate confirmed Pompeo as secretary of state on a vote of 57-42. President Donald Trump tapped the CIA chief to replace fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.  

Pompeo initially faced uncertainty over his confirmation after Republican Senator Rand Paul and several Democrats expressed concerns about his qualifications. He faced some trouble in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who considered rebuking Pompeo but ultimately offered their endorsement. A party-line vote left the committee deadlocked because Georgia Republican Senator Johnny Isakson was not at the meeting because he was attending a funeral. Due to the extenuating circumstances, Democratic Senator Chris Coons switched his vote from "no" to "present" to give Pompeo the recommendation. 

Pompeo recently met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea. It was a prelude to Trump's planned summit with Kim in coming weeks.  


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