Senate sets January confirmation hearing on Rice for Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (AFP) - The US Senate has planned two days of hearings next month on the nomination of Condoleezza Rice to be US Secretary of State, officials in Congress announced Wednesday.
A daylong hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been scheduled for January 18, with another full day, January 19, set aside for additional questioning as needed, officials announced.
A vote on Rice's nomination will be held immediately after the hearing, the commitee said in a statement.
US President George W. Bush last month nominated Rice, 50, to replace departing Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Rice, currently Bush's national security adviser and one of the president's closest confidantes, must be confirmed by the full Senate before assuming the top US diplomatic post.

12/08/2004 19:19 GMT - AFP