Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson Sworn In As Secretary Of State
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence swore in Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State on Wednesday night.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said it's "time to bring a clear-eyed focus to foreign affairs." The president also praised the former Exxon Mobile CEO's background, telling him, "your whole life has prepared you for this moment."
"And I can say this is a man respected all over the world before he even begins," Trump added.
But as CBS2's Tony Aiello reported, there was partisan disrespect for Tillerson in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate approved Tillerson's nomination Wednesday on a vote of 56-43, brushing back efforts by Democrats to derail the oil executive's bid to become the nation's top diplomat. That figure was the fewest yea votes of any secretary of state in modern history.
A few hours earlier, the president left the White House for an unannounced trip to Dover Air Field, where he and his daughter, Ivanka, viewed the return of the remains of Chief Army Officer William Ryan Owens.
Owens was killed in a raid in Yemen targeting al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. He was the first American combat death under Trump.
Also Wednesday, President Donald Trump's national security adviser said the administration is putting Iran "on notice'' after the country tested a ballistic missile.
Michael Flynn told reporters that the Trump administration "condemns such actions by Iran that undermine security, prosperity and stability throughout and beyond the Middle East that puts American lives at risk.''
Flynn called the test launch a "provocative" breach of a United Nations Security Council resolution.
He said, "Iran is now feeling emboldened,'' criticizing the Obama administration for failing "to respond adequately.''
Flynn said that "we are officially putting Iran on notice,'' although it's not clear what he meant.
A defense official said this week that the missile test ended with a "failed'' re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The official had no other details, including the type of missile. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Earlier in the day, bipartisan bitterness played out on Capitol Hill as Democratic Senators continued to boycott some of Trump's other cabinet picks. A Senate committee approved Steve Mnuchin for Secretary of the Treasury and Tom Price to head the Health and Human Services department without any Democrats present.
"We took some unprecedented actions today due to the unprecedented obstruction on the part of our colleagues," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said.
Meanwhile, Betsy DeVos won committee approval to become Education Secretary, but two Senate Republicans, Susan Collins, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, say they won't support her when the full Senate votes. Critics say DeVos has been poorly informed on public education issues and was accused of plagiarism.
"She has not yet earned my full support. I would not advise that she yet count on my vote," Murkowski said.
On Capitol Hill, the president's nominee for Supreme Court made the rounds with Vice President Mike Pence, but he could face a contentious hearing for approval in the Senate.
"I have very serious doubts that Judge Neil Gorsuch is up to the job. Mr. President, Madam President, the Supreme Court now rests in delicate balance," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said.
But Trump warned that Republicans could use a so-called nuclear option. They could change the rules of the Senate requiring 60 votes for confirmation and instead require a simple majority.
"If we end up with the same gridlock that they've had in Washington for the last -- longer than eight years, in all fairness to President Obama, a lot longer than eight years -- but if we end up with that gridlock, I would say if you can Mitch (McConnell), go nuclear," he said.
Also Wednesday, the Republican-controlled House passed a measure to scuttle an Obama regulation protecting streams from coal mining debris.
The president started the day by honoring Black History Month. He met with African-American leaders, and the discussion included the violence in Chicago, with some leaders suggesting a dialogue with gangs.
"We're going to be proactive, rather than reactive in dealing with this situation," Pastor Darrell Scott said.
Last week, Trump threatened in a Tweet that he would "send in the feds" if Chicago couldn't get a grip on its violent crime issues.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday that said if Trump really wants to help Chicago address violent crime, he should stop talking about it, and actually provide federal resources — including increased federal prosecutions of gun crimes, more money for youth mentoring and jobs programs, and additional federal agents to assist Chicago police in fighting gangs and gun violence.
"Send more FBI, DEA, ATF agents. We don't have to talk about it anymore. Just send them," the mayor said Wednesday while meeting with young men taking part in the Becoming A Man mentoring program. "Invest in law enforcement with our Police Department. Every major city has to do more. Move more FBI, DEA, ATF. They do a great job. Use the ability to prosecute gun crimes at the federal level, and maximize that potential."
Meanwhile, CBS2 has learned of an Iraqi Catholic bishop who was invited to the U.S. by Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) and now cannot make the trip because of Trump's travel ban.
"It's off," said Monsignor John Kozar of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. "The visa is revoked or denied, and no hearing to appeal it."
Kozar's group is helping Archbishop Bashar Warda care for refugees who fled ISIS in northern Iraq. Kozar now fears the travel restrictions have the refugees wondering: "Are you still with us? Do you still love us? Are you concerned about us?"
Rep. Smith's office refused to comment. Smith has called the controversial executive order "poorly implemented," but he supports additional vetting of certain visitors and refugees.
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