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Secretary-Designate Rubio Delivers Opening Remarks at His Senate Foreign Relations Confirmation Hearing, January 15, 2025

January 15, 2025 · U.S. Department of State · 0:11:06

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio delivered his opening statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 15, 2025, according to the State Department broadcast. Rubio noted that only 71 other Americans had served as Secretary of State, thanked President Trump for his confidence, introduced his wife Jeanette and daughter Daniella, and traced his path to the hearing to his parents, who arrived from Cuba on May 27, 1956, with nothing but the dream of a better life; he said his faith is critical and something he would lean on heavily in the months ahead, as stated in his remarks.

Why it matters

The opening statement is the founding document of Rubio’s tenure: the case he made to his former Senate colleagues for the job, five days before the inauguration and six days before his 99–0 confirmation.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, official upload (embedded above). Remarks as delivered; full transcript at state.gov.