WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Thursday after the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, announced her resignation:
“Ambassador Jacobson’s departure marks yet another critical moment in the exodus of expertise from a State Department suffering under poor management and dangerous political guidance.
“Mexico is one of our most important bilateral partners in the world. But since his campaign, President Trump has deliberately insulted and alienated our southern neighbor, showing alarming disregard for a critical relationship that directly impacts the national security and economic prosperity of all Americans.
“While Ambassador Jacobson and I have not always agreed on policy decisions, I commend her decades long commitment to serving her country, particularly during this volatile period in U.S. -Mexico relations. As with so many others, the loss of her experience, knowledge, and relationships is increasingly leaving the United States unprepared to manage global diplomacy and defend our national interests.
“The United States and Mexico are inextricably linked by our histories, our cultures, and our people, and we need a strong and respectful partnership now more than ever. President Trump must move swiftly to nominate a qualified diplomat capable of managing the breadth of this bilateral relationship that ranges from being the second-largest foreign market for U.S. goods to enduring challenges related to human rights, immigration, and criminal violence in Mexico.”
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