The Senate’s top Democrat said Friday that he’ll vote against President Trump’s secretary of state pick, accusing former oil company chief Rex Tillerson of refusing to denounce Mr. Trump’s policies and trying to mislead senators.
Mr. Tillerson would be the first of Mr. Trump’s nominees to draw a “No” vote from Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.
“Just one week into his administration, President Trump is turning our foreign policy into shambles,” Mr. Schumer said in a statement. “His nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, a man who will not lift a finger to fight climate change and will not rule out a Muslim registry would make it even worse.”
Mr. Tillerson, the former chief of ExxonMobil, is expected to clear the Senate in a vote Monday evening, with all Republicans supporting him.
His is likely to be the first nomination to benefit from Democrats’ own rules change, forced through when then-Sen. Harry Reid triggered the “nuclear option,” to eviscerate the power of filibusters on presidential nominations.
Every Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted against Mr. Tillerson in the panel’s vote last week.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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