Rubio Eyes Bigger Role for State Department
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Jan. 15 that he hopes to elevate the State Department’s role in foreign policy-making if the Senate approves his nomination to lead the agency.
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“What has happened over the last 20 years under multiple administrations is the influence of the State Department has declined” because the agency takes too long to make decisions, Rubio testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We want the State Department to be relevant again. We have to be at that table when decisions are being made, and the State Department has to be a source of creative ideas and effective implementation.”
Rubio said sanctions should continue to play a major role in U.S. foreign policy because they can provide leverage in negotiations and deny resources to bad actors to fund "nefarious activities." He believes sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act helped lead to the recent downfall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Also during the hearing, Rubio outlined a host of concerns about China, including its role in supplying Russia’s war machine, its increasing use of Hong Kong banks to evade sanctions, and its growing presence in the Panama Canal. He would support ensuring that U.S. outbound investment is not aiding China’s military buildup.
“At a minimum, we should have insight into whether American investment dollars, be they institutional or individual, are going to the funding of activities designed to undermine the United States of America,” Rubio said. “That’s a core national security interest.”
Turning to Latin America, Rubio said U.S. policy toward Venezuela “needs to be re-explored” following President Nicolas Maduro’s failure to adhere to an agreement to hold a fair presidential election. While he isn’t sure whether Mexican cartels that traffic in drugs and people should be designated foreign terrorist organizations or something else, he said “it is important that they be identified for what they are.” Rubio also said Cuba should remain on the state sponsors of terrorism list, contrary to the Biden administration’s recent decision to remove the island country from the list (see 2501140080).
On the Middle East, Rubio committed to ending Palestinian terrorism sanctions waivers and implementing sanctions against those terrorists. He also would end what Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called "discriminatory" sanctions against Israeli Jews in the West Bank.
On the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) security partnership, Rubio expects the incoming Trump administration will be supportive.
President-elect Donald Trump chose Rubio to be secretary of state in November (see 2411120031). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on Rubio's nomination Jan. 20, hours after Trump is set to be sworn in as president. Cruz said he expects the full Senate will confirm Rubio “with an overwhelming bipartisan vote.”