WASHINGTON — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio painted a darkish imaginative and prescient Wednesday of the implications of America’s “unbalanced relationship” with China, echoing President-elect Donald Trump’s anti-globalist rhetoric as he seeks to be confirmed as his secretary of state .
While bearing on points plaguing the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe, Rubio targeted a lot of his five-hour Senate affirmation listening to on warning that with out speedy and substantive coverage modifications, China will stay the “best risk” to American prosperity within the twenty first century. .
“If we do not change course, we’ll stay in a world the place a lot of what issues to us every day, from our safety to our well being, will rely upon whether or not or not the Chinese allow us to,” Rubio testified to the US Foreign Relations Committee. Senate.
Asked about NATO, the safety group based 75 years in the past that Trump has repeatedly criticized, Rubio affirmed its worth, calling it “a vital alliance.” But Rubio backed Trump’s view that some European allies ought to contribute extra to their collective protection, including that the United States should determine whether or not it desires “a major protection position” or be a “safety bloc” towards aggression.
The 53-year-old Republican made the case towards China and different U.S. adversaries to his colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee the place he served for 14 years. He obtained a heat welcome from each side of the aisle, joking about how “surreal” it was to be on the opposite aspect of the stage.
“I hope I can earn your assist, each since you consider I’d do a very good job and since you wish to do away with me,” Rubio joked in his opening assertion.
But amongst subtleties, Rubio attributed America’s vulnerability to China to the shift to globalism, which he mentioned “is now a weapon used towards us.” He mentioned the United States should begin placing “our core nationwide pursuits above all else.”
It’s a exceptional opening shot from Rubio, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants and who, if confirmed, would turn into the primary Latino to function the nation’s high diplomat.
The affirmation listening to opens a brand new chapter within the political profession of the third-term senator, whose relationship with Trump has advanced over the previous decade. Once rivals who traded playground insults throughout the presidential marketing campaign in 2016, the 2 males turned shut allies when Trump campaigned for an additional time period within the White House final yr.
Rubio first got here to Washington as a part of the “tea celebration” wave in 2010 and as soon as argued for permitting a path to citizenship for unlawful immigrants within the nation. But like different Republicans, Rubio’s views on immigration have shifted towards the arduous line of Trump, who has pledged to aggressively pursue deportations as soon as he takes workplace Monday.
Unlike lots of Trump’s cupboard picks, Rubio is anticipated to win affirmation simply, successful assist not solely from Republicans but additionally from Democrats who assist him as a “accountable” option to symbolize the United States overseas. Many anticipate it will likely be among the many first Trump Cabinet picks to be accepted.
Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, who served alongside Rubio on the Foreign Relations Committee, mentioned he has excessive hopes that the Florida Republican will reject the isolationist strategy of Trump’s different allies.
“I believe Marco is a hawk, however he is additionally an internationalist, and I believe the problem for him might be to take care of the lengthy bipartisan custom of America being indispensable in world affairs,” the Hawaiian lawmaker instructed The Associated Press. “And there are individuals in Trump’s world who need us to run away from being the leaders of the free world. And I hope Marco’s instincts about American energy prevail.”
Rubio’s strategy to overseas affairs is rooted in his years of service on the Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. In his speeches and writings, he has issued more and more stark warnings about rising navy and financial threats to the United States.
If confirmed, Rubio will turn into the chief of US overseas coverage, though his position will definitely stay secondary to Trump, who relishes the worldwide stage and infrequently makes use of the bully pulpit towards America’s allies.
Even earlier than taking workplace, Trump has sparked angst in overseas capitals by threatening to grab the Panama Canal and Greenland and suggesting he’ll strain Canada to turn into the nation’s 51st state.
When requested in regards to the canal on Wednesday, Rubio testified that whereas he has not “reviewed the authorized analysis,” he’s “compelled to suspect {that a} case may very well be made that the phrases beneath which the canal was delivered have been violated.” .
But, he added, “Panama is a superb companion in lots of different points and I hope we will resolve this difficulty.”
The Biden administration’s choice to revoke Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism with simply days left in workplace possible irked Rubio, who has lengthy supported powerful sanctions on the communist-run island.
When Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, requested him if he believed Cuba ought to stay on that record, Rubio replied: “no questions requested.” He additionally indicated that the brand new administration will reverse the Biden administration’s plans to take away Cuba from the record of state sponsors of terrorism.
“Nothing that the Biden administration has agreed to within the final 12 or 18 hours binds the following administration, which begins Monday,” Rubio mentioned.
Secretaries of state have performed a key position in formulating the nation’s overseas coverage since its founding, beginning with the primary, Thomas Jefferson, who held the highest Cabinet publish beneath President George Washington.
Since then, Jefferson, in addition to his nineteenth century successors James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan, have all been elected president.
More current secretaries of state have been much less profitable of their political ambitions, together with John Kerry, who misplaced the 2004 presidential election to President George W. Bush earlier than turning into the highest diplomat, and Hillary Clinton, who misplaced the 2016 election towards Trump.
The most profitable secretaries of state are identified for his or her closeness to the presidents they serve, notably James Baker beneath George H. W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice beneath George W. Bush, and, to some extent, Clinton beneath Barack Obama.
Like Clinton, Rubio was as soon as a political rival of the president-elect who nominated him. However, the Clinton-Obama relationship throughout the 2008 Democratic primaries was not as hostile as that between Trump and Rubio within the 2016 Republican primaries, which was characterised by insults and private insults.
Trump had a acrimonious relationship along with his first secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. Trump fired him from workplace through a social media publish lower than two years into his time period.
Associated Press author Matt Brown contributed to this report.
