In a sometimes testy hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest U.S. oil company, calmly defended his views on global warming, human rights and relations with Russia. He also offered support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement that President Obama has championed and Trump has condemned. Unlike Trump’s other picks for Cabinet positions, Tillerson repeatedly found himself under fire from fellow Republicans as he struggled, not always successfully, to allay concerns about his long-running ties to Russia. Exxon Mobil has said it lost $1 billion after sanctions on Russia effectively killed a planned oil and gas project. If he is confirmed, Tillerson said he will sever ties to Exxon Mobil.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 11, 2017 15:04 UTC