US Senate committee backs Tillerson as Trump's secretary of state

Rex Tillerson (C), the former chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil, shakes hands with US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) as he arrives for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing to become US Secretary of State on Capitol Hill in Washington January 11, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Democrats who voted against Tillerson said their concerns included fears that he might move to lift sanctions on Russia, where he did business for years as an Exxon executive, questions about his views on human rights and unhappiness that he would not promise to recuse himself from matters related to Exxon during his entire term as the top US diplomat.

Tillerson said during his hearing that he would recuse himself only for the one year required by law.

Tillerson also angered some lawmakers during the hearing by saying he did not know that Exxon Mobil had lobbied against Russian sanctions while he was running the company.

Senator Ben Cardin, the committee's ranking Democrat, said Tillerson's "business orientation" and responses at his hearing "could compromise his ability as secretary of state to forcefully promote the values and ideals that have defined our country and our leading role in the world for more than 200 years."