WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is facing serious opposition before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which may not have enough votes to recommend him for confirmation because all Democrats, and at least one Republican, have said they will oppose him.
The full Senate is still expected to consider Pompeos nomination later this week. But the rare rebuke expected from the panel today, even after Pompeos recent visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, would be the first time in years that a nominee for the high-level Cabinet position did not receive a favorable committee vote.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chairman of the committee, blamed partisan politics for opposition to Pompeo, now the CIA director, saying Pompeo is just as qualified as past secretaries of state nominees Hillary Clinton or John Kerry, both of whom received overwhelming support.
We are in an era where somebody like this, who is qualified, unfortunately, is likely to be voted out without recommendation or with a negative recommendation, Corker said Sunday on State of the Union on CNN. Its just sad that our nation has devolved politically to this point.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on Democrats to support Pompeo Monday, saying on Fox News: at some point Democrats have to decide whether they love this country, more than they hate this president.
Pompeos confirmation before the full Senate now hangs in balance, with the votes of just a handful of senators determining whether he becomes the nations top diplomat after Trump fired Rex Tiller-son last month.
Key Democrats, including some who had voted for Pompeo as CIA director last year, are peeling away, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remains opposed, despite personal overtures from the president.
Pressure is mounting on senators from both sides. White House allies are unloading ad campaigns against Democrats from Trump-won states, including North Dakota, Indiana and Missouri, to vote for the presidents nominee. But progressive groups are pounding senators offices in opposition to Pompeos hawkish foreign policy views and negative comments about gay marriage and Muslims. As soon as Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., announced her support last week, one group called on her to switch.
I dont agree with every position hes taken or every word he has spoken, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said Sunday on Meet the Press on NBC. But I believe he has an extensive knowledge of world affairs that has been enhanced by his time at the CIA.
