Kerry Confirmed to Head State Department
Posted at 11 a.m. on Jan. 30
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of State in a lopsided 94-3 vote. Kerry’s lengthy career in the Senate could position him to be much more involved in domestic issues than was his predecessor, outgoing Secretary Hillary Clinton.
The Washington Post reports that one of the “no” votes, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), “said that he was concerned in particular that Kerry appears to make global warming a centerpiece issue and that Kerry has been too deferential to global organizations such as the United Nations.”
Wall Street Journal: “Mr. Kerry also could have influence in holding off budget cuts mandated under a 2011 debt deal. State Department spending is part of the non-security spending that is to be cut under the law.”
