Senate Democrat says he will oppose Tillerson for State Department

Source: Reuters

Mon Jan 23, 2017 | 7:19am EST

The most senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Monday he would not support President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

Senator Ben Cardin said he was not persuaded to support Tillerson's nomination even after the former Exxon Mobil chief executive spent an hours-long hearing earlier this month seeking to assure lawmakers that he was fit for the job.

Cardin said Tillerson should have described recent Russian and Syrian military actions in the Middle East as "war crimes" when he was asked about those countries during his conformation hearing.

"The power of the Secretary of State to call out wrong, to name and shame, and to fight each day on behalf of the American people and freedom-seeking people the world over is an enduring symbol," Cardin said in a prepared statement.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-tillerson-idUSKBN1571JI