After most Democrats opposed CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s hawkish views on foreign policy, the Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state on Thursday afternoon. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Heidi Meitkamp (D-ND), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Claire McCaskill (D-MS), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Doug Jones (D-AL) were the original opposing senators that joined in with the Republican majority to pass Pompeo with a 57-42 vote.
The White House had little room for error during the nomination process. John McCain (R-AZ) was not present for the vote as he is recovering from cancer treatment, thus cutting the Republican majority to 50-49. Moreover, the Libertarian-leaning Rand Paul (R-KY), who also sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was originally a “no” vote.
After President Trump assured the Kentucky senator that Pompeo has considered the Iraq War a “mistake” and that military presence in Afghanistan should be lessened, Paul gave him a favorable recommendation.
Republican leaders were determined to bring Pompeo’s nomination to the floor regardless of the committee vote. Though, had Paul remained in opposition, he and Democrat dissenters could have killed the nomination outright.
According to a report from Politico, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) commented on the political disdain Democrats had for nominee Pompeo.
“From the founding of the republic until 2017, the Senate has never required a cloture vote to confirm a secretary of state nominee. Now we’re at two,” he said. “I guess Senate Democrats are in a history-making mood. Because over the past 15 months, they’ve embarked on a partisan campaign to block, obstruct and delay President Trump’s nominees that is quite simply without precedent in American history.”
Pompeo is expected to assume the position of secretary of state quickly. After being sworn in later today, he is reportedly flying to Brussels for a Friday meeting with NATO foreign ministers.
His deputy at the CIA, Gina Haspel, is expected to have her confirmation hearing to succeed him as CIA director next month.
