Senate Foreign Relations Committee opens confirmation hearing for Marco Rubio, who outlines ‘America first’ test for diplomacy

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch convened the committee on Jan. 16 for the confirmation hearing of Sen. Marco Rubio, President-elect Trump’s nominee for secretary of state. Rubio said the State Department’s work must be judged against three questions: “Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Or does it make America more prosperous?”

The committee hearing opened with Chairman Risch laying ground rules for decorum and stressing time limits, saying, “This place is not a place for demonstrations or communications with members of the committee. We have work to do.” Senator Tim Scott introduced Rubio and framed him as a nominee who would carry out the incoming administration’s priorities in Latin America and beyond.

Nut graf: The hearing covered a broad set of security and diplomatic priorities — from China and the Indo-Pacific, to Ukraine and NATO, to Israel and the Gaza hostages — and regular committee business such as staffing the State Department. Committee leaders from both parties urged swift confirmation of career foreign service nominees while pressing Rubio on how he would balance alliance commitments and America’s…