US Senate unanimously confirms Kerry's nomination

US Senate unanimously confirms Kerry's nomination

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse
US Senate unanimously confirms Kerrys nomination

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., sits before the committee he has served on for 28 years and led for the past four as he seeks confirmation as U.S. secretary of state, on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The Senate has confirmed Sen. John Kerry as the next secretary of state.

The vote was 94-3. Once sworn-in, Kerry will replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is stepping down after four years.

The vote came just hours after the Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination by voice vote. Kerry has led the committee for the past four years.

The 69-year-old Kerry is a decorated Vietnam veteran and the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.