The sole Democratic Latino senator has called on the Senate to schedule a vote to confirm or deny President Barack Obama's nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

The Hold on Roberta Jacobson

On June 1, 2015, Obama nominated Roberta Jacobson to serve as U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Her nomination requires a full Senate vote to either confirm or deny Jacobson of the ambassador role. But since June, Jacobson, currently the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs and played a key role in the renewed diplomatic relations talks with Cuba, has seen her nomination process delayed.

Last November, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Jacobson with a 12-7 vote, with most of the opposing votes coming from senators who opposed the Obama administration's renewed diplomatic relations with Cuba, including Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., citing concerns about human rights in the island.

But since November, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has yet to schedule a full Senate vote on Jacobson's nomination.

On March 9, Menendez told The Hill he's not blocking Jacobson's nomination although he still plans on voting against her. "I don't have a hold on her," he said. "My solution is we'll have a vote on her."

Menendez, however, clarified that he's not voting against her based on items related to Cuba or Mexico but on issues related to Venezuela and other information "within her jurisdiction."

Several Latino groups have called on senators to move forward with the full Senate vote, such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). At the USHCC, Menendez's statement for a full vote was commended, even if he plans on voting against her nomination.

"We commend Senator Bob Menendez for calling on the Senate to vote on Roberta Jacobson's confirmation as the next U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Although Menendez has declared his intention to remain on the wrong side of history by voting against Jacobson's confirmation, his call for a full Senate vote demonstrates his willingness to stop playing political games and put good policy ahead of politics," said USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez in a statement.

Palomarez, as have 17 Latino members of Congress, have urged urged Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to move forward with the vote. As Palomarez noted, Jacobson has received bipartisan support from Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

"As our third largest trading partner, Mexico accounts for more than $500 billion in bilateral trade. It is also the home of one million American citizens who depend on the American government to maintain strong ties with Mexico. We must confirm Roberta Jacobson as our top diplomat in Mexico or risk weakening our economy as well as our national security," added Palomarez in a statement on March 10.

Rubio's Opposition

As Latin Post reported last December, 17 Latino congressional lawmakers published a letter, addressed to Rubio, urging the Florida senator to stop blocking Jacobson's nomination.

The letter's signatories claimed Rubio has been blocking Jacobson "for reasons that have nothing to do with her qualifications or even the [Obama] Administration's policies" with Mexico. According to Rep. Linda Sánchez, chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, it is "wholly unacceptable" for Rubio to block the nomination process. In her statement released last December, Sánchez noted Rubio's Senate attendance record as "the worst."

"While I understand Sen. Rubio has his own political ambitions to serve, there is absolutely no justification for holding up the nomination of a qualified woman as Ambassador to Mexico. It's time for Sen. Rubio to get out of the way and allow Roberta Jacobson's nomination to be considered by the full United States Senate before the end of the year," said Sánchez.

In a statement released last November, Rubio said Jacobson refused to provide several documents he's requested and failed to provide answers he questioned.

"It is clear that the Obama Administration's foreign policy around the world, and specifically in the Western Hemisphere has been short-sighted and counter-productive. Our allies have been left to question the commitments we have made to them, while our adversaries have been emboldened to challenge the U.S. at every step. As the United States' lead diplomat for the Western Hemisphere, Roberta Jacobson has played a central role in that failure," said Rubio.

Rubio said a U.S. ambassador to Mexico must have the trust of Congress, and he does not believe Jacobson is that individual.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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