Senate confirms Marco Rubio as secretary of state in first Trump Cabinet post approval

Washington — The Senate on Monday confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump's Cabinet nominees to win the approval of the upper chamber. 

The Senate confirmed Rubio in a 99 to 0 vote as his former colleagues in the Senate touted his qualifications for the job. 

Rubio has represented Florida in the Senate since 2011 and resigned Monday upon Mr.  Trump's inauguration. The 53-year-old China hawk has extensive foreign policy experience and was widely considered to have among the smoothest paths to confirmation in the Senate.