US Senate confirms Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada

By Patricia Zengerle

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Pete Hoekstra, a former ambassador to the Netherlands, to be ambassador to Canada, a position he assumes as traditional close ties have been strained by President Donald Trump's tariff policy and comments about annexing the neighboring country.

The vote was 60 to 37 in favor of confirming Hoekstra, with support from several Democrats as well as Trump's fellow Republicans for a nominee who has also been a business executive and Republican member of the House of Representatives.

His confirmation comes as relations between Washington and Ottawa are more tense than they have been in years, amid a global trade war and hostile rhetoric that has roiled diplomatic relations.

At his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month, Hoekstra said he views Canada as an independent nation, noting close ties between his home state of Michigan and the United States' northern neighbor.

"Canada is a sovereign state, yes," Hoekstra said at the hearing, when Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware asked if he agreed Canada is a sovereign state and should not be even jokingly referred to as the 51st state.

Trump has suggested that the United States should annex Canada, referring to it repeatedly as a U.S. state.