The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Pete Hoekstra, a former ambassador to the Netherlands, to be ambassador to Canada, a place he assumes as conventional shut ties have been strained by President Donald Trump’s tariff coverage and feedback about annexation.
The vote was 60 to 37 in favour of confirming Hoekstra, with assist from a number of Democrats in addition to Trump’s fellow Republicans for a nominee who has additionally been a enterprise govt and Republican member of the Home of Representatives.
The affirmation of Hoekstra, who succeeds David Cohen, comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa are extra tense than they’ve been in years, amid a worldwide commerce struggle and hostile rhetoric that has roiled diplomatic relations.
U.S. officers initially made conflicting statements about whether or not a ten per cent baseline tariff on all items would apply to Canada. The White Home has confirmed that it received’t. Paul Beaudry, former deputy governor of the Financial institution of Canada, says it’s excellent news for Canada for now —however the Trump administration might nonetheless change its thoughts at any time.
At his listening to earlier than the Senate’s overseas relations committee final month, Hoekstra mentioned he views Canada as an unbiased nation, noting shut ties between his dwelling state of Michigan and Ontario.
“Canada is a sovereign state, sure,” Hoekstra mentioned on the listening to, when Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware requested if he agreed Canada is a sovereign state and shouldn’t be even jokingly known as the 51st state.
Trump has instructed that america ought to annex Canada, referring to it repeatedly as a U.S. state.
Coons was among the many senators who voted in opposition to the nomination.
Canada ‘our most beneficial buying and selling companion’: Hoekstra
All Republicans current voted to substantiate Hoekstra, with the others largely representing states that share a Canadian border, together with Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, and Maine’s Angus King, who’s an unbiased who caucuses with the Democrats.
Hoekstra in an announcement praised Canada as “our most beneficial buying and selling companion, our largest supply of overseas funding and our largest supply of power imports.”
“As ambassador to Canada, I’ll work with the Canadian authorities to overview and strengthen our sturdy buying and selling partnership, safe our borders, confront the lethal menace of fentanyl to our residents and construct our nationwide safety co-operation,” he mentioned.
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Hoekstra, 71, served in Trump’s first time period as ambassador to the Netherlands, the place his household traces its origins. He beforehand served in Congress from 1993 to 2011 for Michigan.
Whereas the appointment has usually been praised, together with by enterprise teams, the World Undertaking Towards Hate and Extremism beforehand introduced its opposition to the selection, slamming Hoekstra for statements throughout his political profession they mentioned mirrored “anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ views.”
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