Bruce Heyman confirmed by U.S. Senate as ambassador to Canada
Bruce Heyman was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as the next ambassador to Canada, six months after U.S. President Barack Obama nominated him for the job.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said she was "very pleased" to see Heyman, a partner at Goldman Sachs in Chicago and a top political fundraiser for Obama, confirmed to the post.
"I think it's pretty important that we have an ambassador to Canada when Canada is our biggest trading partner. We haven't had one now for months. This is a very good thing," she said.
Heyman, who has stayed quiet about his appointment throughout the process, took to Twitter Wednesday evening to express his eagerness to get started on the job.
"Time to get to work!" he said.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also took to Twitter where he congratulated Heyman on his confirmation and said he looked forward to welcoming his new friend and ally.
A spokesman for Baird issued a written statement to express Canada's delight in seeing the confirmation process move forward.
"Canada looks forward to working closely with ambassador-designate Heyman to continue to build on the strong relationship with the Obama Administration and advance our shared priorities, including job creation and long-term prosperity for Canadians and Americans," said Rick Roth, the director of communications for Baird.
Heyman will have to be sworn in by the U.S. Department of State before he moves to Ottawa where he will present his credentials to the Governor General, a formality that each ambassador must go through.
The Canadian American Business Council wrote a letter last week to both leaders in the Senate calling on them to end their "partisan gamesmanship" and confirm Heyman's appointment.
CBC News first reported on Heyman's nomination last April, five months before Obama officially announced his choice to replace David Jacobson.
Jacobson's four-year term ended last July.
