Rubio to say he'll put US interests 'above all else' at hearing

(NewsNation) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will accidental astatine his confirmation proceeding Wednesday that arsenic portion of President-elect Donald Trump's administration, helium volition spot American interests "above each else."

“Placing our halfway nationalist interests supra each other is not isolationism,” Rubio volition archer the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to an opening connection obtained by The Associated Press. “It is the commonsense realization that a overseas argumentation centered connected our nationalist involvement is not immoderate outdated relic.”

“The postwar planetary bid is not conscionable obsolete; it is present a limb being utilized against us,” Rubio is acceptable to accidental successful the opening statement.

Rubio's confirmation is expected to spell smoother than different Trump furniture picks specified arsenic Fox News big Pete Hegseth. Hegseth, Trump's prime for defence secretary, faced questions implicit allegations of intersexual assault, excessive drinking and his divisive views connected women successful combat and minorities.

On the different hand, Rubio has gotten bipartisan support, including from Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who said helium plans to ballot yes connected his nomination.

"I judge Senator Rubio has a thorough knowing of the United States’ relation connected an planetary scale, has served with grant connected the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is simply a bully prime to pb the State Department," Durbin said Monday, noting the 2 stock akin views connected issues specified arsenic the "continued menace of China" and "recent sham predetermination successful Venezuela."

Born successful Miami to Cuban immigrants, Rubio would beryllium the archetypal Latino to service arsenic Secretary of State if confirmed.

While serving successful the Florida legislature, Rubio was the archetypal Cuban American to enactment arsenic the state's talker of the House. After his predetermination to the U.S. Senate successful 2011, Rubio unsuccessfully ran to beryllium the Republican nominee for president successful 2016.

Although helium erstwhile had a combative past with Trump, Rubio has since positioned himself arsenic an state of the president-elect.

The Associated Press and NewsNation's Steph Whiteside contributed to this article.