Senator Heidi Heitkamp has just become the first Democrat to get behind President Trump’s nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State, her office announced in a statement Thursday.
Why it matters: This just about guarantees that the Senate will confirm Pompeo to the role. Some Republicans were worried that, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting no and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) absent for health reasons, his confirmation could be rejected. But Heitkamp’s flip now brings the yes-votes to a 50 — as long as all other senators vote along party lines.