Senate committee vote on Rex Tillerson sets U.S. on dangerous path
Last Updated on January 23, 2017.
WASHINGTON, DC – Win Without War Director Stephen Miles issued the following statement in response the Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on Monday favorably referring Rex Tillerson’s nomination as the next Secretary of State to the full Senate:
“Rex Tillerson has spent his entire career advocating on behalf of Big Oil at the expense of American interests, our climate, and human rights around the world, which is why dozens of national organizations representing millions of Americans urged the Senate to reject his nomination to be the next Secretary of State.
TIllerson’s confirmation hearing earlier this month — where he refused to condemn obvious examples of human rights violations, or to acknowledge the truth about the human role in climate change — did nothing to alleviate concerns about his nomination.
What’s perhaps even more troubling is that during the hearing, Tillerson — while vying to be the face of U.S. diplomacy — advocated that the U.S. militarily confront Russia for its incursions in Ukraine and China for its expansion in the South China Sea.
These are not the qualities our nation’s top diplomat should embody.
While it’s encouraging that all the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats stood firm in opposing Tillerson’s nomination, it’s disappointing — although not entirely surprising — that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and other Republicans who expressed strong reservations about Tillerson, ultimately chose to lay down their convictions in deference to a widely disliked President who handily lost the popular vote.
Throughout the past 40 years, the President’s Secretary of State nominee has sailed through committee with strong bipartisan support. Today’s vote only proves that Rex Tillerson is a dangerous nominee, and we strongly encourage the full Senate to reject his nomination.”