Senate Republicans Are Getting President Trump’s Key Ambassadors in Place

This Week, the Senate is Voting to Confirm Ambassadors to Crucial American Allies Around the World to Bolster the President’s Foreign Policy Agenda

SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE WORKING TO QUICKLY CONFIRM KEY FOREIGN POLICY NOMINEES

“[T]he Trump administration is working hard to advance America’s interests. And Senate Republicans are working to ensure the Trump administration’s foreign policy team is put in place as swiftly as possible.” –Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

“We will do all we can to keep up this quick pace to ensure President Trump and Secretary Rubio have the support they need.” – Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-Idaho)

Last week, the Senate confirmed Matthew Whitaker to be the U.S. ambassador to NATO. (PN25-56: Roll Call Vote #157 – 4/1/25)

“In nominating him, Trump said in a statement that Whitaker was ‘a strong warrior and loyal Patriot’ who ‘will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended.’” (The Associated Press: Senate confirms Matt Whitaker as Trump’s ambassador to NATO – 4/1/25)

During his confirmation hearing, Whitaker said, “President Trump has been clear. The United States remains committed to NATO and to the principle of peace through strength. That principle… has guided NATO's founding and remains vital today as ever,” and went on to call the U.S.’s commitment “ironclad.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/4/25)

Whitaker also emphasized the need for NATO allies to pay their fair share, pledging to “work to advance a policy of peace through strength by ensuring that all NATO members meet a minimum defense spending level of 5 percent, thereby ensuring NATO is the most successful military alliance in history.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/4/25)

THIS WEEK, THE SENATE IS VOTING ON SEVERAL AMBASSADOR NOMINEES TO VITAL U.S. ALLIES OVERSEAS

George Glass, confirmed to be ambassador to Japan, has “an opportunity to further modernize the U.S.-Japanese alliance to ensure our countries are prepared to deter the long-term threats we face from China.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Chairman Risch Opening Statement at Nominations Hearing for Ambassador to Canada, Ambassador to Japan, and Ambassador to Mexico – 3/13/25; PN25-14: Roll Call Vote #195 – 4/8/25)

- During his confirmation hearing, Glass pledged to “make sure Japan continues to increase its support for the defense of the region, our alliance, and our troops, and to ensure that our relationship works for the American people.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/13/25)

- With roughly 60,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan, “Glass said Washington will ‘undoubtedly’ have to ask Japan for an increase in its financial contribution for the upkeep of U.S. forces there, referring to an agreement due to be renegotiated in 2027… Tokyo had been providing support for the U.S. military there of around $1.4 billion a year, while the sophistication of Chinese forces had grown and the cost of pushing back against Beijing had become ‘significantly more expensive.’” (Reuters: Trump ambassador nominee: Canada is a sovereign state – 3/13/25)

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, confirmed to be ambassador to Israel, “said he would work to support President Donald Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon during his confirmation hearing to be U.S. ambassador to Israel…” (Jewish Insider: Huckabee says it is ‘better to bankrupt’ Iran than to bomb it, in partisan confirmation hearing – 3/26/25; Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio: post on X – 4/9/25)

- “The maximum pressure bankrupted the Iranians. It made it impossible for them to fund the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas. They didn’t have the money… When his term ended and President Biden took office, unfortunately they relaxed some of those pressures and the result was Iran had money again. They didn’t use it to help their people, they used it to murder people in Israel through the Houthis, through Hezbollah and through Hamas.” – Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee

THE SENATE IS ALSO VOTING TO CONFIRM AMBASSADORS TO KEY POSTS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE: PANAMA, CANADA, AND MEXICO

Kevin Cabrera, nominee to be ambassador to Panama, spoke about the need to cooperate on “security concerns, immigration cooperation, and economic engagement,” as well as curbing China’s influence in the country and over the Panama Canal. (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Statement of Kevin Marino Cabrera Nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Panama – 3/25/25)

- In February, Panama announced that it would let its involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative expire, which China uses for “‘debt trap diplomacy’ to cement its global influence.” (Reuters: Rubio hails Panama's move to exit Chinese infrastructure plan – 2/3/25)

- “More than 40% of U.S. container traffic, valued at roughly $270 billion a year, goes through the Panama Canal, accounting for more than two-thirds of vessels passing each day through the world's second-busiest interoceanic waterway.” (Reuters: US to take back Panama Canal from Chinese influence, visiting Pentagon chief says – 4/8/25)

Peter Hoekstra, nominee to be ambassador to Canada, served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan for nearly 20 years and was ambassador to the Netherlands in President Trump’s first term. (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/13/25)

- “Navigating the future of North America’s highly integrated auto industry will be near or at the top of Hoekstra’s agenda.” (Politico: Pete Hoekstra is poised to become US ambassador to Canada at a tense moment – 3/13/25)

- At his confirmation hearing, Hoekstra emphasized the need for “[f]reer, fairer trade” between the U.S. and Canada, as well as working with Canada to meet its NATO defense spending commitments. (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/13/25)

Ronald Johnson, nominee to be ambassador to Mexico, pledged to “foster cooperation with Mexican authorities to halt and deter further illegal alien flows and to accept the deportation of their citizens who are currently in the United States illegally.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/13/25)

- At his confirmation hearing, Johnson also said he would “work to ensure U.S. companies and workers are treated fairly as we look towards the USMCA review and clearing a path for shared prosperity while safeguarding U.S. economic security, including protection from predatory Chinese trade practices.” (U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Nominations – 3/13/25)

Both nominees also discussed the need to halt fentanyl trafficking from both Canada and Mexico:
- Along the southern and northern border, “[i]n the last two fiscal years, CBP seized record amounts of fentanyl – nearly 50,000 pounds – enough to produce more than 2 billion lethal doses.” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection: CBP Releases January 2025 Monthly Update – 2/18/25)

- Also, a request to work with the United States on the issue of fentanyl, something that I know is a very important issue in New Hampshire, across the country, we lose 55,000 people per year.” – Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra
- “If confirmed, I will take seriously the solemn obligation of protecting U.S. citizens who live in and visit Mexico. This includes working with Mexican authorities to dismantle drug cartels that sow violence, and addressing the scourge of illegal drugs that infect harm on our communities in both the United States and Mexico.” – Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson

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