Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center Director Peter Schechter writes for The Hill on the pressing need for a US ambassador in Mexico:
More than a billion dollars. That is the value of daily trade crossing the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico. Our southern neighbor is our third largest trading partner and the destination for manufactured goods and agricultural products that support over six million American jobs. Since NAFTA was enacted in 1994, bilateral trade has grown astronomically. Today, the United States is home to over 35 million Americans of Mexican heritage.
The U.S.-Mexico relationship is vital to America’s foreign policy, to its economic policy and to its very identity. It is, with no exaggeration, one of the most important relationships of the United States. Important relations need to be managed and a key element of management is having an ambassador representing our interests in Mexico City. Roberta Jacobson, the career officer, nominated to be our representative in June was voted out of committee in November – five months later. Nobody knows when the full Senate will vote.