Rex Tillerson receives backing to be secretary of state from key senators

The Guardian: Despite his history of business and friendship with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, oil boss Rex Tillerson gained two key supporters among Republican skeptics on Sunday. A Democratic leader, meanwhile, hinted at battles to come over Donald Trump’s extremely conservative picks to fill the government.

Two Republican members of the Senate foreign relations committee, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, announced their support for Tillerson after weeks of expressing fears about the ExxonMobil chief executive’s history with Russia.

“Though we still have concerns about his past dealings with the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, we believe that Mr Tillerson can be an effective advocate for US interests,” the senators said in a joint statement.

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