WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has confirmed President Barack Obama’s nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico, clearing the way for the first woman to hold what is considered to be one of the country’s most important diplomatic posts.
Roberta Jacobson’s nomination was approved by voice vote Thursday.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had been blocking Jacobson’s nomination. The former Republican presidential candidate had objected to her role in negotiating the normalization of U.S. relations with Cuba.
Jacobson is the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. That position gave her a prominent voice in leading talks with Havana on re-establishing diplomatic ties and embassies after more than five decades of antagonism.
Secretary of State John Kerry chided Rubio in February for blocking Jacobson’s nomination, saying the senator was punishing a highly qualified candidate who did nothing wrong.