Marco Rubio is confirmed in bipartisan Senate vote for secretary of state

Marco Rubio delivers remarks during a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on his nomination to be Secretary of State on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has been confirmed to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, becoming the first member of Trump’s cabinet to receive the approval of the U.S. Senate since Trump took office Monday afternoon.

The vote was nearly unanimous, with 99 senators supporting his confirmation.

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Rubio told the Senate in his confirmation hearing that the administration would pursue an “America First” agenda that reconsidered U.S. foreign aid and diplomatic relations based on evolving U.S. interests. He vowed a muscular presence in the Western Hemisphere, including a forceful approach to the regime in Venezuela, a commitment to U.S. aid to Haiti and a fresh look at relations with Panama over its management of the Panama Canal.