Democrat senator may save Pompeo’s secretary of state nomination

by WorldTribune Staff, April 20, 2018

The first Democrat to announce support for Mike Pompeo’s nomination to be secretary of state may also be the senator who saves the nomination.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota said on April 19 she would vote in favor of confirming Pompeo.

With Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky opposed to Pompeo and Sen. John McCain of Arizona recovering from brain cancer treatment, Republicans, who hold 51 Senate seats, need at least one Democrat to vote in Pompeo’s favor.

Heitkamp said in a statement that “Pompeo demonstrated during this nomination process and during our meeting in March that he is committed to empowering the diplomats at the State Department so they can do their jobs in advancing American interests.”

Heitkamp is up for re-election in November and is seen as vulnerable in a state that President Donald Trump won by double-digits.

Other vulnerable Democratic senators, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, and Jon Tester of Montana have not yet indicated how they would vote on Pompeo’s nomination.

The Senate could vote on Pompeo’s nomination as early as next week

Trump tweeted on April 19: “Mike Pompeo is outstanding. First in his class at West Point. A top student at Harvard Law School. A success at whatever he has done. We need the Senate to approve Mike ASAP. He will be a great Secretary of State!”


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