Committee backs Clinton for secretary of state

THE Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted overwhelmingly yesterday for Hillary Clinton to become the next secretary of state, with lawmakers saying they were hopeful her leadership would mark a turn from warfare toward diplomacy.

The 16-1 approval by the committee paves the way for a full Senate vote after US president-elect Barack Obama takes office next Tuesday. Clinton is not expected to hit any major roadblocks, with Republicans and Democrats alike praising her acumen on the issues. But concerns about her husband’s charitable fundraising overseas remain.

Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, who was among several Republicans who raised the issue at her confirmation hearing earlier this week, cast the lone opposing vote. Vitter called former president Bill Clinton’s foundation a “multimillion dollar minefield of conflicts of interest”.