(NewsNation) — Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said at his confirmation hearing for secretary of state Wednesday that as part of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, he will place American interests above all else.
“We will never be indifferent to the suffering of our fellow man, but ultimately under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” Rubio said. “The direction he has given for the conduct of our foreign policy is clear — every dollar we spend and every policy we pursue must answer the question if it makes America safer, stronger, or more prosperous.”
He said in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that other countries have been putting their interests first, at the expense of the U.S.
“The postwar global order is not just obsolete,” Rubio, 53, said. “It is now a weapon being used against us.”
Rubio’s confirmation proceedings are expected to go smoother than other Trump cabinet picks such as Fox News host Pete Hegseth. Hegseth, Trump’s choice for defense secretary, faced questions over allegations of sexual assault, excessive drinking and his divisive views on women in combat and minorities.
In contrast, Rubio has gotten bipartisan support, including from Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, who said he plans to vote yes on his nomination. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, also said she thinks Rubio is well qualified for the position in her opening statement Wednesday.
“I believe Sen. Rubio has a thorough understanding of the United States’ role on an international scale, has served with honor on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is a good choice to lead the State Department,” Durbin said Monday, noting the two share similar views on issues such as the “continued threat of China” and the “recent sham election in Venezuela.”
During the hearing, Committee chair Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, announced news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Rubio said he hoped it would come to that resolution. Earlier, he reiterated to lawmakers his support for Israel.
Some protesters were removed from the room at the beginning of the hearing.
Rubio’s views on China
Rubio, at Wednesday’s hearing, addressed China, calling it the biggest threat to America.
“They are a technological advisory and competitor, an industrial competitor, an economic competitor, a geopolitical competitor, a scientific competitor now,” he said. “When they write the book about the 21st century, there’s going to be some chapters in there about (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, there’s going to be some chapters in there about some of these other places, but the bulk of that book about the 21st century will not just be about China, but about the relationship between the U.S. and China.”
As it is now, Rubio said, there’s a “dangerous imbalance” in that relationship.
“The Chinese believe the United States are a great power in inevitable decline, and that they are in inevitable rise,” Rubio said.
The United States’ reliance on Chinese goods and supply chains needs to end, Rubio said, or the U.S. could “wind up living in a world where much of what we depend on for our security, our health, our safety, and our economic prosperity” is based on what China allows it to have.
Rubio is sanctioned by Beijing because of his support for Hong Kong’s democratic causes, but said he wants to engage with them in a “mature and prudent” way.
“I’ve been strongly worded in my views on China. Let me just point out they said mean things about me, too,” Rubio said.
Rubio on NATO
When Shaheen questioned Rubio about NATO, which Trump has criticized, Rubio said it’s a “very important alliance,” though he agrees with the president-elect’s opinion that some countries in the alliance should contribute more to their defense.
“What’s important for the United States is not just to have defense allies, it’s to have capable defense allies, allies who are capable of defending their region,” Rubio said.
What must be asked, Rubio said, is whether the U.S. wants “a primary defense role” or to be a “backstop” against aggression.
As Secretary of State, Rubio said he’ll affirm a new law he helped write which says an American President cannot unilaterally withdraw the U.S. without NATO without a vote from Congress.
Rubio asked about Panama Canal
Asked about Trump’s recent comments regarding the Panama Canal, Rubio said while he said he hasn’t “looked at the legal research,” he is “compelled to suspect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over has been violated.”
Last year, Trump said that the United States “foolishly” ceded control of the Panama Canal to its Central American ally and that shippers are charged “ridiculous’ fees to pass through the channel.
But Rubio on Wednesday said, “Panama is a great partner in a lot of other issues, and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal.”
He later added that Panamanian government officials “are very friendly to the United States and very cooperative, and we want that to continue.”
“I want to bifurcate that from the broader issue of the canal,” Rubio said.
Rubio noted that the issue of control over the canal “is something that’s existed now for at least a decade in my service,” and was discussed on a trip he took to Panama in 2017. The concern, he said, was that Chinese companies control port facilities at both the East and West ends of the canal. Military and security officials were concerned it the canal could be used to impede commerce in a moment of conflict.
Ricaurte Vásquez, the administrator of the Panama Canal has previously denied claims that China is controlling the canal’s operations.
Who is Marco Rubio?
Born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, Rubio would be the first Latino to serve as Secretary of State if confirmed.
While serving in the Florida legislature, Rubio was the first Cuban American to act as the state’s speaker of the House. After his election to the U.S. Senate in 2011, Rubio unsuccessfully ran to be the Republican nominee for president in 2016.
Although he once had a combative history with Trump, Rubio has since positioned himself as an ally of the president-elect.
The Associated Press and NewsNation’s Steph Whiteside contributed to this article.