WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic senators sparred Tuesday over the Trump administration’s foreign policies, ranging from Ukraine and Russia to the Middle East, Latin America, the slashing of the U.S. foreign assistance budget and refugee admissions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Democratic senators have sparred over a wide range of the Trump administration’s foreign policies: Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, Latin America, the slashing of the U.

At the hearing, Rubio is likely to face tough questions about the decimation of foreign aid - Rubio was an advocate of such aid during his 14 years in the Senate - while slashing

Rubio declared "there’s nothing compassionate about open borders" as he defended the Trump's administration's immigration policies

Vance will travel this weekend to Vatican City where he will attend the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV, history’s first American pontiff, who has previously been critical of him.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV, a U.S. citizen who as a cardinal criticised the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, met at the Vatican on Monday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Roman Catholicism as an adult.

In two particularly contentious exchanges, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) demanded answers on the decision to suspend overall refugee admissions but to exempt Afrikaners based on what they called “specious” claims that they have been subjected to massive discrimination by the South African government. Rubio gave no ground.

Va., clashed over the U.S. resettlement of South African refugees, with Rubio accusing Kaine of objecting to the refugees’ skin color.