U.S. Senate approves Roberta Jacobson to be ambassador to Mexico

U.S. State Department official Roberta Jacobson, who led negotiations on normalization of ties with Cuba, was approved as the new American ambassador to Mexico on Tuesday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Jacobson, who runs the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, was approved by a vote of 12-7.

Her nomination had been delayed by some senators' concerns about President Barack Obama's moves toward normalization of relations with Cuba, in which she has played a leading role.

Senator Robert Menendez, who disagrees with the Obama administration's Cuba policy, was the only Democratic committee member who voted against Jacobson. He read a statement before the vote expressing his concerns about a range of issues, including human rights.

Jacobson's appointment must be approved in the full 100-member Senate before she can take up her position in Mexico City.