WASHINGTON (AP/WGGB) — The Senate has confirmed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as the next secretary of state.

The vote was 94-3. Once sworn-in, Kerry will replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is stepping down after four years.

The vote came just hours after the Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination by voice vote. Kerry has led the committee for the past four years.

In response President Obama says, “I am pleased that the Senate has confirmed John Kerry as our next Secretary of State with overwhelming bipartisan support.  From his decorated service in Vietnam to his decades in the Senate as a champion of American global leadership, John’s distinguished career has prepared him to guide American diplomacy in the years ahead.  John has earned the respect of leaders around the world and the confidence of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, and I am confident he will make an extraordinary Secretary of State.  I look forward to his counsel and partnership in the years ahead as we ensure American leadership in the world and advance the interests and values that keep our nation strong.”

The 69-year-old Kerry is a decorated Vietnam veteran and the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.