The Republican-controlled Senate on Feb 1st confirmed Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state, a crucial member of President Donald Trump's national security team.
Tillerson was quickly sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office, where Trump showered him with praise.
Senators voted 56-43 to approve the former Exxon Mobil CEO after Democrats mounted a vocal yet unsuccessful campaign to derail the bid
Tillerson also will have to deal with any fallout stemming from Trump's executive order on immigration and travel that halts entry for 90 days to citizens from seven majority-Muslim nations.
Tillerson received an honorific - the Order of Friendship - from Putin's government in 2013.
Democrats pressed their case against Tillerson right up until the vote.
