With the help of six Democrats and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), the Senate on Thursday helped President Donald Trump move one step closer to completing his war cabinet by confirming the ultra-hawkish torture supporter Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State by a vote of 57-42.
“When Pompeo and Trump’s new national security adviser John Bolton meet in the Oval Office, Trump will have an anti-Iran, pro-regime change hawk on both shoulders.”
—Paul Kawika Martin, Peace Action
“The Senate has made a mistake of historic proportions by rubber-stamping Donald Trump’s war cabinet,” Jamal Abdi, executive director of NIAC Action, said in a statement following Thursday’s vote. “The U.S. appears headed towards a catastrophic exit from the Iran deal in spite of the pleas of our closest allies and Mike Pompeo will only encourage Trump off the brink.”
Pompeo’s confirmation comes after weeks of uncertainty as to whether he would make it through the Senate at all, given the robust objection from nearly every corner of civil society and with theearly opposition of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
But Paul’s opposition proved flimsy earlier this week, when Paul caved to pressure from Trump and decided to support Pompeo, allowing him to advance out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a favorable recommendation.
While most Democrats voted against Pompeo on Thursday because of his long record of warmongering, Islamophobia, support for torture, and climate denial, six so-called moderate Democratic senators decided to break with their party and join the unanimous Republican caucus in backing Trump’s Secretary of State pick.
In addition to King, these are the Senate Democrats who voted to confirm Pompeo: Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), and Bill Nelson (Fla.).
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