Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., could wield "outsized influence" over President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, potentially able to nix any pick who comes before the panel, the Washington Examiner reported.
"If all nine Democrats stick together, they need only one of the committee's 10 Republicans to vote with them to potentially scuttle any nomination," the newspaper reported.
"That gives Paul and Rubio outsized influence even if they come from opposite foreign policy perspectives."
Sen. Rubio already has signaled his skepticism about Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson.
Sen. Paul is keeping an "open mind" on the choice, but has said he would opposed anyone who did not think the Iraq war was a mistake.
Both senators – who were GOP primary presidential rivals of Trump – represent states that voted for Trump, but "both also have national constituencies who would support them in their efforts to promote their preferred foreign policies," Examiner writer W. James Antle wrote.
"Trump may have beaten Rubio and Paul in the presidential primaries, but he might not be able to ignore them once in office."
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