Corker, once considered for State post, will lead hearings
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bob Corker isn't President-elect Donald Trump's choice for secretary of State, but he will still play a key role in the confirmation of nominee Rex Tillerson.
Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, congratulated Tillerson on his nomination Tuesday and said his committee will hold hearings on the nominee in early January.
“Mr. Tillerson is a very impressive individual and has an extraordinary working knowledge of the world,” said the Tennessee senator, who had been a finalist for the job. “I congratulate him on his nomination and look forward to meeting with him and chairing his confirmation hearing.”
Corker said Trump called him Monday night and told him he would be nominating Tillerson, the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. Trump made the formal announcement early Tuesday.
“On a personal note, it has been an honor to be considered for Secretary of State,” Corker said. “I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the president-elect and his team throughout this process and appreciate the deliberate manner in which he arrived at this decision. I look forward to working with him to move our country forward.”
Corker has been advising Trump on foreign policy and had what he called a "wide-ranging meeting" with Trump in New York City late last month. A few days later, Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump's senior advisers, confirmed that Corker was on the short list for secretary of State.
Corker’s name was first floated for a possible position in Trump’s cabinet last spring after the senator told Paste BN he had offered to help Trump develop a foreign policy platform. At the time, Corker was one of the few GOP senators to embrace Trump, who was already the party’s presumptive nominee for president.
Corker’s pronouncement was met almost immediately with speculation that he could become Trump’s vice presidential running mate.
Corker met with Trump and his family at Trump Tower in New York City and even campaigned with Trump in the swing state of North Carolina before announcing in July that he was removing himself from consideration as vice president.
Corker said he felt other people were better suited for the job, but he left open the possibility that he might join Trump’s administration in some other capacity, such as secretary of State or Treasury secretary.
Corker seemed like a natural fit for secretary of State, given his role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Corker assumed the chairmanship’s role nearly two years ago, when the GOP regained control of the Senate.
As chairman, he has traveled extensively to other countries and has been one of the top monitors of U.S. foreign policy. He became one of the leading congressional critics of the nuclear deal the Obama administration and other Western powers negotiated with Iran. He also has criticized what he considers the Obama administration’s inadequate handling of the civil war in Syria.
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