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U.S. GOVERNMENT 1: Rice to Become New Secretary of State

President George W. Bush’s former national security advisor, Condoleeza Rice, will have to wait a couple more days to become the new Secretary of State this week. Rice will take the job of Secretary of State from Colin Powell, who resigned after the president’s re-election

Rice had to answer a series of questions from Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee voted 16-2 to give her the job. The committee asked her about decisions advising the president on the Iraq war, terrorism, and other subjects. She spent nearly 10 hours for the past two days answering questions from the committee members.

Rice will be the first African-American woman to hold the position if she is approved by the Senate. She will be the second African-American after Colin Powell and second woman after Madeline Albright.

Rice was also the first African-American woman to become security adviser to the President during Bush’s first term.

Rice, nicknamed "Condi," was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She began playing the piano at the age of four. She also learned to ice skate as a young girl. Rice graduated from the University of Denver at 19. She speaks Russian, French, and Spanish. She also worked with George H.W. Bush, the President’s father, when he was in office.

--Written by Jasmine Washington

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