Today, we have a new president.
So, I say congratulations to President Trump.
As we turn a new page from one administration to another, we can put a contentious campaign and all the negative rhetoric behind us.
There will be plenty of time for arguments – those arguments can be about policy and personalities in the days and years to come.
But, today, this very day, is a day that all Americans can celebrate in their own way.
With today’s inauguration, there is a sense of optimism that always comes with a new president and the rededication of our republican form of government.
Even those who voted another way on November 5 can take the opportunity to pause and enjoy the excitement of their fellow Americans, and even allow themselves to share in some of that optimism.
Of course, a new president must assemble a cabinet of people he trusts to carry out his agenda, and do that under the Constitution with the advice and consent of the Senate.
With the expectation that, before the day’s out, we’ll approve the nomination of Senator Marco Rubio to be our nation’s 72nd Secretary of State.
I’m proud that today, we can do that.
No one in this body can doubt that Marco Rubio is a very intelligent man with a remarkable understanding of American foreign policy and a very deep commitment to the American dream.
That dream comes from that fact that his family has a history that started with the immigration to the United States from Cuba, and then watching their former homeland fall into a communist dictatorship that still exists to this day.
That helps explain his love for America and his drive to oppose oppressive autocratic regimes that threaten freedom.
Even in this time of intense partisanship and intense time of character assassination, I expect Senator Rubio will receive an overwhelming vote for his confirmation.
His colleagues know his talents and his character firsthand.
I expect most, if not all of my colleagues, will vote based on what they have seen with their own eyes, rather than blind partisanship.
I look forward to Marco Rubio continuing his passionate defense of freedom in his role as our next Secretary of State.
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