The Senate voted 94 to 3 Tuesday to approve Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) as the next secretary of state, with bipartisan tributes and a few words of caution.
Kerry is set to formally take over from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday, becoming the 68th top U.S. diplomat and the first white male to hold the post since Warren Christopher in 1997.
Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, both Texas Republicans, along with Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), voted against Kerry’s confirmation.