Trump Cabinet Update: Rex Tillerson’s Secretary Of State Nomination One Step Closer To Confirmation Despite Opposition By Top Democrats

At a time when widespread protests are raging against President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting immigration and green card holders from several Muslim-majority countries, his pick for secretary of state crossed a hurdle in the Senate and moved closer to being confirmed this week.

Former Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson’s confirmation was put on track Monday after senators voted 56-43 to push for a final vote after up to 30 hours of debate. If the time is not changed by consensus in the Senate, the United States’ chief diplomat can expect a confirmation vote this week.

The votes were cast mostly along party lines, with the exception of the Democratic senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mark Warner of Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Independent Angus King of Maine, all of whom voted in favor of Tillerson. Most of these senators will face re-election in 2018.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic leader, along with a number of other Democrats, have attempted to delay Tillerson’s confirmation in light of Trump’s travel ban but they need the support of several Republicans to go through with such a motion.

While some Republicans — Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina — have voiced their criticism of the executive order by saying it will “become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism,” most others have stayed silent on the issue.

The Democrats said they wanted to wanted to question Tillerson more closely on the issue as during his confirmation hearing he had said he did not support a “blanket-type rejection” of a group of people, which is in direct contradiction to Trump’s executive order.

Trump’s outlook towards Russia and the sanctions imposed on the country has been another cause of concern.

The president, however, has voiced his criticism of the Senate Democrats for delaying the confirmation of his key cabinet picks. Senator Bob Corker, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reportedly said: “As we proceed in ensuring the new administration has the leaders it needs to implement our nation's foreign policy going forward, I have great confidence Rex Tillerson will serve the United States well.”