The Senate passed a procedural measure Monday allowing the chamber to move forward with a vote to confirm former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.
Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Mark Warner of Virginia — two of whom are up for election in 2018 — joined Republicans in voting for the nominee along with Maine independent Sen. Angus King.
While a number of Democrats blasted the nominee, questioning how his business dealings will impact his job performance, they were unable to delay the vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the vote to be pushed back until he provided a statement on President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.
Tillerson endured a tough line of questioning during committee, with members on both sides of the aisle grilling him on his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The final vote is expected to happen by Wednesday.
Follow Juliegrace Brufke on Twitter
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.