Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., announced Wednesday that they will both support CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination to become secretary of state.
King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats, said in a statement Wednesday evening that he will support Pompeo’s nomination due to the looming situations in North Korea and Iran, as well as the need for leadership at the State Department. He also said that Pompeo will be a “calm and well-informed voice.”
“Director Pompeo would not be my choice for this position … But agreement with him on all issues cannot be the standard; if it were, every cabinet vote would be a partisan exercise with the party opposing the president voting ‘no’ on each nominee,” King said. “The simple fact is that we need a Secretary of State, especially as Iran and North Korea are both coming to critically important decision points. In addition, the State Department itself is depleted, dispirited, and in desperate need of leadership and direction, which the Director’s experience at CIA indicates he can provide.”
“[B]ased upon what I know of Mike Pompeo, I believe that…he will be a calm and well-informed voice. He knows his country expects and needs no less,” King said.
Meanwhile, Jones said that he believes Pompeo “has the skills required” to take on “weighty and urgent demands” facing the department and said his time as CIA chief helped his case to become the nation’s top diplomat.
“After meeting with Director Pompeo, reviewing the record of his confirmation hearings, and speaking with others with expertise in national security and diplomacy, I believe he has the skills required to meet the weighty and urgent demands facing our State Department today,” Jones said in a statement. “I have therefore decided to support his confirmation as Secretary of State.”
“In his role at the CIA, Mr. Pompeo has demonstrated the ability to be an effective manager and operator on the world stage,” Jones said. “I also believe his perspective having worked in the intelligence community will be valuable given the national security challenges he would face as Secretary on day one.”
The two join Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., in supporting Pompeo’s nomination. The former Kansas lawmaker is also expected to win the entire GOP caucus after Trump secured the support of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Monday.
A vote to invoke cloture on Pompeo’s nomination is set for Thursday, with a final vote likely to come later Thursday or Friday.
