Congressional Delegations

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Texas Sens. Ted Cruz (R) and John Cornyn (R) cast the only "no" votes.

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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to be the next secretary of State.

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Your morning global affairs speed-read

The Senate is expected to easily approve Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to be the next secretary of State both in committee and on the Senate floor today. Kerry, the outgoing chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is expected to be easily confirmed after Republicans all but urged President Obama to nominate him in lieu of his ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice.

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria is expected today to deliver a bleak assessment of the chance for a peaceful end to the 22-month-old uprising, The Washington Post reports.

Hillary Clinton holds a “Global Town Hall” with reporters from around the world at the Newseum. This will be her 59th and final town hall as she prepares to turn over the reins to Kerry on Friday. Watch it live here.

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Kerry's nomination for State is expected to sail through after a non-confrontational confirmation hearing Thursday.

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The president made the comments in a rare joint interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" scheduled to run Sunday.

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Obama said he has relied on McDonough’s “intellect and good judgment” for the better part of a decade. 

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The Senate will likely vote Tuesday to make Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) the new secretary of State, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Thursday.

“I'm working with the new committee chairman and the ranking member so that we can hold a vote on Tuesday on the nomination of the new secretary of State,” Reid said on the Senate floor. 

Kerry's nomination is expected to sail through. President Obama's first choice to replace Hillary Clinton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, withdrew from contention after Republicans vowed to oppose her and urged Obama to nominate Kerry instead.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a largely non-confrontational hearing on Kerry's nomination on Thursday, despite a few pointed questions about foreign aid and the administration's response to the Sept. 11 attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Kerry could get a committee vote as early as Monday.

Ramsey Cox contributed

Kerry faced questions on the Syrian uprising and NATO's Libya bombing campaign during an otherwise smooth confirmation hearing.

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Your morning global affairs speed-read

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) fulfills a lifelong dream today when he appears before his own Foreign Relations panel for his confirmation hearing as secretary of State. He's expected to have an easy time in committee – Republicans all but gave him the job when they shot down Susan Rice, President Obama's first choice – but Senate sources say he's not expected to get final approval through uniform consent, setting him up for a floor vote next week.

One of the top items on his agenda: dealing with the fallout from the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya. Despite Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's best effort to exit stage left during her final congressional appearance on Wednesday, Republicans made it clear they still have questions about the attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Read our coverage of Clinton's and Democrats' performance here and here.

Drone probe: A United Nations investigation into targeted killings will examine drone strikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, The Guardian reports.

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Democrats in the Senate, and especially the House, treated Hillary Clinton with kid gloves during her final appearance before Congress on Wednesday as secretary of State — opting for praise rather than probing questions about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

The fawning treatment confirmed that the secretary of State is at once an inspiration for many freshman members and a formidable force in Democratic politics. Clinton is considered a favorite to win the Democratic primary in 2016 if she runs, and many lawmakers are urging her to do so.

“As a new member of Congress,” said freshman Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), “I think I speak for all the freshmen that we're not gonna get much time to serve with you, but we hope in a few years we'll get that chance to serve again.”

“Thank you for what I can only describe as a truly exemplary career in public service and a dedication to public service,” said Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass.), another freshman. “And I look forward to what the future holds for you as well.”

“As a woman and as a mom, thank you so much for being a role model for women not only in the United States, but all throughout the world. Thank you for your compassion and leadership, always," said freshman Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) after asking Clinton for tips on getting around Washington.

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