The Dallas Morning News Calls on Rubio to Unblock Nomination of Ambassador to Mexico The Dallas Morning News
go to original December 18, 2015

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a GOP presidential candidate, has placed a hold on the Senate confirmation of Roberta Jacobson, President Obama’s nominee to be ambassador to Mexico. (Getty Images/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

U.S. senators have a long tradition of playing politics with presidential appointments, delaying confirmations of judges and ambassadors as a way of communicating their displeasure with the president. In most cases, it serves as just a temporary annoyance.

Not so when it comes to Roberta Jacobson, President Barack Obama’s nominee as U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a GOP presidential candidate, reportedly is blocking Jacobson’s confirmation, apparently in order to register his objections to President Barack Obama’s Cuba policy. Also reportedly blocking the effort is Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat and Cuban descendant.

The United States has not had an ambassador in Mexico since July. This post is far too critical to leave vacant for such a prolonged and indefinite period. We share the sentiments of GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who is urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to override Rubio’s objections and order a floor vote for confirmation.

Rubio reacted angrily in July when Obama announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba. Rubio’s parents are Cuban immigrants. Like many of his southern Florida Cuban constituents, Rubio is adamantly opposed to easing economic sanctions against the Communist dictatorship of Fidel and Raúl Castro.

Jacobson, a civil servant, previously served as assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, implementing the president’s policies on Cuba and the rest of the region regardless of whether she agreed with them. For that, she’s being punished.

Read the rest at The Dallas Morning News

Related: U.S.-Cuba Relations: What Was Accomplished in 2015, What Remains to Be Done (HuffPost)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!