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Senate panel narrowly recommends Pompeo as US diplomatic chief

Update Senate panel narrowly recommends Pompeo as US diplomatic chief
Mike Pompeo. (Reuters)
Updated 24 April 2018

Senate panel narrowly recommends Pompeo as US diplomatic chief

Senate panel narrowly recommends Pompeo as US diplomatic chief
  • He is expected to be fully confirmed this week
  • Republican Senator Rand Paul's last-minute vote flip gave him the narrow edge

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, narrowly won approval from a Senate panel Monday and is expected to be confirmed by the full chamber this week.
A last-minute vote flip by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who for weeks had expressed opposition to Pompeo over his stance on the Iraq war and surveillance issues, gave Pompeo a narrow edge — and avoided what would have been an embarrassing setback as the president seeks to install his top diplomat.
“We’ll report him to the floor in a positive manner,” committee chairman Senator Bob Corker said, following a vote that saw high tension over the absence of one lawmaker, and a changed vote from “no” to “present” by one Democrat in order to favorably report Pompeo’s nomination.