Senator Marco Rubio, nominee for Secretary of State under President Trump, is set to deliver a speech during the confirmation hearing at the Senate on January 15th. According to the draft obtained by media, he will elaborate on how communist China has attained superpower status at the expense of sacrificing American interests through lies and deceit.
Rubio has long been a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his nomination for Secretary of State is expected to face no major opposition from either the Republican or Democratic parties during the committee’s review.
In the draft obtained by Bloomberg, Rubio will urge the U.S. to “once again prioritize its core national interests above all else” and strive to “create an orderly free world.”
In his planned remarks, Rubio states, “We previously welcomed the Chinese Communist Party into this global order and they took advantage of all the benefits. But they ignored their obligations and responsibilities. Instead, they achieved global superpower status through lies, deceit, hacking attacks, and theft, while we (the U.S.) paid the price.”
As a descendant of Cuban immigrants, Rubio will also criticize Latin American “dictators and drug terrorists” in these comments for driving large-scale illegal immigration and harming American communities.
His harsh words towards Chinese leaders reflect Rubio’s longstanding reputation as a China hawk. Bloomberg suggests that the incoming Trump administration may clash with Beijing early on, especially since Trump has promised significant tariffs on goods imported from China.
Rubio will also state that American voters chose Trump because they want a strong America that promotes peace abroad and prosperity at home, and if confirmed, this will be the core mission of the State Department. He emphasizes that while the U.S. “will never be indifferent to the suffering of people around the world,” the U.S. government will ensure that every funded project benefits its own country.
Rubio will say, “He (Trump) has outlined the direction for our foreign policy implementation. Every dollar we spend, every project we fund, and every policy we pursue must be proven through the answers to three simple questions: Will it make America safer? Will it make America stronger? Will it make America more prosperous?”
Addressing criticisms of Trump as “isolationist” in some international circles, Rubio will counter in his hearing speech, stating that America’s wealth is not “infinite” and its power is not “limitless,” therefore prioritizing core national interests is not “isolationism.”
Rubio will question, “If America is not strong, what good does it do for our allies?”
Rubio’s nomination for Secretary of State has received public support from the Democratic Senate Minority Whip, Dick Durbin, indicating overwhelming bipartisan support for Rubio in the Senate vote.
On Monday, January 13th, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin announced that he will vote to support Senator Rubio as the next Secretary of State.
Durbin stated in a release, “I believe Senator Rubio has a thorough understanding of America’s role on the international stage, with his distinguished experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he is a good choice to lead the State Department. I plan to cast a favorable vote for his nomination in the Senate.”
Durbin highlighted their many shared views on foreign policy and their close collaboration to advance human rights worldwide, address the threat of the Chinese Communist Party, and respond to Venezuela’s “fraudulent elections.”
Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the highest-ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Hill that Rubio is likely to face a Senate vote on Trump’s first day in office, January 20th, and is expected to receive robust bipartisan support.