NOT REALLY A SURPRISE: Rubio to vote for Tillerson.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) announced Monday morning that he would support President Trump’s pick to lead the State Department, removing the last significant stumbling block to the nomination.

Rubio, who aggressively questioned secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson during his hearing earlier this month, had been the lone Republican holdout on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Given the uncertainty that exists both at home and abroad about the direction of our foreign policy, it would be against our national interests to have this confirmation unnecessarily delayed or embroiled in controversy,” Rubio said in a statement on his Facebook page.

“Therefore, despite my reservations, I will support Mr. Tillerson’s nomination in committee and in the full Senate.”

Because of the committee’s structure, a defection by even one Republican senator would have denied Tillerson the majority vote he needed to easily move to a floor vote. However, as Rubio weighed his decision, Committee chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) told reporters that he’d still be able to bring Tillerson up for a floor vote regardless of whether he wins the majority in the committee.

Now that Rubio joins Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and John McCain (Ariz.) in support, Tillerson is expected to be confirmed once the full Senate holds its vote.

The Foreign Relations panel plans to hold its vote Monday to move Tillerson toward confirmation on the chamber floor.

I was initially hostile toward Tillerson, but after his hearing he seems okay.