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- Dubai 04:31 05:49 12:21 15:48 18:47 20:05
US Senator John Kerry (D-MA) tours the stage area ahead of the second session of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. US President Barack Obama is expected to nominate Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry as secretary of state. (REUTERS)
President Barack Obama has decided to nominate Massachusetts Senator John Kerry to be the next secretary of state, CNN and ABC News reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.
Kerry's nomination will not be announced for a variety of reasons, including the need to finalize the process and out of respect for the national mourning over Friday's school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, ABC said.
CNN, citing an unnamed Democrat, said the nomination could be made public as early as next week.
Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2004 election and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, would replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if confirmed by the Senate.
Clinton has decided to step down from her job in the Obama administration.
Hiliray Clinton steps down
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after fainting, the State Department said Saturday.
The 65-year-old Clinton, who's expected to leave her job soon, was recovering at home after the incident last week and is being monitored by doctors, according to a statement by aide Philippe Reines.
Dr. Lisa Bardack of the Mt. Kisco Medical Group and Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi of George Washington University said Saturday that Clinton was suffering from a stomach virus and fainted after becoming extremely dehydrated. The doctors said they recommended that Clinton continue to rest and avoid strenuous activity and cancel all work events for the next week.
President Barack Obama telephoned his top diplomat Saturday to wish her well, a White House official said.
The State Department said in a statement that Clinton will continue to work from home in the week ahead and looks forward to returning to the office "soon," the statement said.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee said it won't hear from Clinton as planned at a Thursday hearing into the Sept. 11 attack against a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador. The House Foreign Affairs Committee also said Clinton would no longer give scheduled testimony at its hearing Thursday on Libya.
Senior State Department officials William Burns and Thomas Nides are to take Clinton's place at both hearings.
Clinton's aides on Saturday informed the Senate committee chairman, Sen. John Kerry, about her health, and the Massachusetts Democrat "insisted that given her condition, she could not and should not appear" as planned, said Kerry spokeswoman Jodi Seth. Obama is expected to nominate Kerry to succeed Clinton.
Clinton backed out of a trip to North Africa and the Persian Gulf on Monday because she was sick. She caught the virus during a recent visit to Europe.
The former first lady is known for her grueling travel schedule and is the most traveled secretary of state, having visited 112 countries while in the job.
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