US Senate panel backs Blinken as Secretary of State

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voted to approve President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.On Monday, the panel approved Blinken's nomination by a vote of 15-3, sending it to the full Senate for a final confirmation, reports Xinhua news agency. Three Republican Senators -- Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and John Barrasso -- voted against the nomination.Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer has scheduled Blinken's confirmation vote at the Senate on Tuesday. During his his confirmation hearing last week, he pledged to increase cooperation with Congress, keep the US embassy to Israel in Jerusalem and also faced a wide-ranging grilling on top foreign policy hotspots including the Middle East, China and Russia.Blinken, 58, served as Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama.As a close aide to Biden for nearly two decades, Blinken was one of the President's first cabinet picks.
--IANS ksk/