Tillerson gets one step closer to confirmation

Secretary of State designate Rex Tillerson took another step toward confirmation when the Senate voted to end debate on his nomination Monday evening.

Tillerson cleared the procedural hurdle in a 56-43 vote. Democratic opposition to his confirmation was invigorated by anger over President Trump’s executive order suspending most travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, but four members of the Senate Democratic caucus — West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, Mark Warner of Virginia, North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and Maine’s Angus King (a registered independent) voted with Republicans. Heitkamp and Manchin are up for re-election in 2018, in states that President Trump carried in 2016.