VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Well, good morning, everybody. How are we doing? I want to give a special welcome to Senator Rubio's family, especially his four beautiful kids and his wife. Thank you, guys, for being here. It's a great occasion.
I will say that it's pretty hard to top being sworn in as Vice President and then the Buckeyes win the national championship the very same day, but this is a hell of a start to a run, because Marco is one of my favorite people in Washington.
And he's a son of Cuban immigrants to this country. He grew up in very humble beginnings, but he has an incredibly deep love of our nation. He is a bipartisan solutions-seeker, a guy who can actually get things done, but a conservative of great principle and great vision. And I think more than almost anybody that I've met in Washington the last few years, Senator Rubio I think understands the distinctive priorities of President Trump and why it represents such a significant and, frankly, important and needed departure from a generation of failed foreign policy. Senator Rubio will be the chief diplomat of the United States of America, but he will remain a friend. I'm proud to know him and I'm proud to do this. So Senator Rubio, thank you. (Applause.)
I also, of course, want to thank President Trump for nominating Senator Rubio and giving me a first easy swearing-in. This is the first time I've ever sworn in an official of the United States Government. And I want to thank Senator Jim Risch and his family for making this easy. You guys got this done and got it done very quickly - 99 to zero, right? I think even I wouldn't have got close to 99 to zero. So Senator Rubio, it's a great testament to your career of service. And this a new chapter, man, but I think you're going to do great. So - great.
So I think that we're going to administer the oath and then, Senator, you'll say a few words. Is that right? Let's do it. Okay.
(The oath was administered.)
Congratulations, Mr. Secretary. (Applause.)
SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for making time. It's been a busy 72 hours. And —
VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Say that again.
SECRETARY RUBIO: Maybe longer, but - 96 hours, I guess. But first, I want to thank Jeanette, my wife, who has been so supportive. As the Vice President knows well, it's impossible to do any of these jobs we do here - including the Senate but now in this new role - without the support of our family and particularly of our spouses. And so thank you for being supportive every step of the way. I would not stand here before you today without that.
I'm also thrilled and grateful that all four of my children are here. They're the most important legacy any of us will leave behind. The most important job I'll ever have is that of a father and a husband, and I'm honored that they are able to join us - Amanda, my oldest; Daniella, my second; Anthony, our third; and then Dominick. I'm very happy they're able to see this today.
I also want to thank my colleague Senator Risch and Ms. Risch for joining us. He did a great job managing the committee, which brought us here to this point, but he's also been one of my closest friends in my time in the U.S. Senate. In fact, we - by reason of chance, certainly not by design, we wound up basically being first and second behind one another on seniority in every committee. So - we even sat next to each other on the floor, so people thought it was a plot. It was not by design, and - but it's one of the most special relationships I have established.
And obviously it's an honor to be with the Vice President, who I think is going to be phenomenal - someone I knew and admired and actually relied on for policy ideas before he was even elected to the Senate and now will do an extraordinary job for the President. I can't think of a better voice for the world and for the President's policies.
As far as the task ahead, President Trump was elected to keep promises and he's going to keep those promises. And his primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States. It will be furthering the national interests of this country. And he's given us a very clear mandate. President Trump has made it very clear everything we do - and this is true in government but especially at the Department of State - everything we do must be justified by the answer to one of three questions: Does it make us stronger, does it make us safer, and does it make us more prosperous? If it doesn't do one of those three things, we will not do it.
And so that is the goal and that is the task, and that is the promise that he was elected to keep and that is the promise he will keep and we will help him keep. It's a transformational moment. The United States, I think, is now, as President Trump pointed out last night and I believe deeply, we are headed into a new era that I think will make the world a safer place. We have a President who yesterday - President Trump made clear in his inaugural speech that one of the primary goals of American foreign policies is the promotion of peace - of course peace through strength, peace and always without abandoning our values. But I think it's extraordinary that it's something that needs to be said and hasn't been said enough in recent memory, and we look forward to being a key part of helping the President achieve his agenda that he has a clear mandate to keep.
If I may take the liberty for just 15 seconds to say something in Spanish because I know a lot of people back home would be very proud and I want to make sure I acknowledge that.
(In Spanish.)
I just said I saved a bunch of money by switching to GEICO. That's what I said. Sorry. (Laughter.)
And I want to end by thanking Almighty God and my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is truly the singular purpose of our lives. It's the most important priority. It's the only thing that will matter when we take our last breath on this Earth. But this is an extraordinary opportunity that would not have been possible without God's blessings. I'm honored and I'm privileged, cognizant of the responsibility, and I want to thank President Trump for his confidence. We will work hard every second of the day to help him achieve the agenda the American people have given him to achieve. Thank you. Thanks for being a part of this today. God bless all of you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. (Applause.)
