Washington: The former first lady and New York Senator, Hillary R Clinton, was sworn in on Thursday as the Secretary of State. The ceremony was held within an hour of her being confirmed by the US Senate by an overwhelming majority of 94 to two votes.
Hillary would be the 67th Secretary of State replacing Condoleezza Rice of the previous Bush Administration. The former US President, Bill Clinton, held the sacred Bible, when the former first lady took the oath.
The first former first lady to hold this position, Hillary Clinton would go to Foggy Bottom - the State Department headquarters - to assume charges and start using what she said during her confirmation "Smart Power."
Earlier in the day, the full Senate had a debate followed by a roll call vote on her nomination as the Secretary of State. As expected, she was confirmed by 94 votes to two.
The two lone Senators who voted against Hillary were Republican Senators Jim DeMint (from South Carolina) and David Vitter (Louisiana).
The roll call vote was held, a day after the Republican Senator from Texas John Cornyn, blocked the voice vote on Tuesday demanding that the Clintons should be more transparent about the non-profit Clinton Foundation headed by his husband and the former President, Bill Clinton.
Cornyn, however, voted in favour of Clinton.
Earlier participating in the debate, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Hillary demonstrated an impressive grasp of the numerous, complex foreign policy issues US faces and showed why she will make such a formidable Secretary of State.
"She has the stature to project America's leadership globally and to help build alliances, at home and abroad, that will be vital to our success in the years ahead," Kerry added.
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