Who is she?
The U.S. Senate confirmed Caroline Kennedy’s appointment to the position of United States Ambassador to Japan on October 16, 2013. In addition to being an accomplished author and editor of numerous books on American values, history, and personalities, Ambassador Kennedy—the daughter of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy — built a career in philanthropy and advocacy which included heading the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Senior Advisory Board of the Harvard Institute of Politics. She became actively involved in politics for the first time in 2008 when she endorsed then-Senator Barack Obama in a New York Times op-ed entitled “A President Like My Father” and went on to serve as a leading member of the President’s vice-presidential search committee in 2008 and national co-chair of his 2012 campaign. Kennedy was considered a top contender for the New York senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton in 2009, but ultimately chose to withdraw her name from consideration.
Caroline Kennedy speaking at a special Capitol Hill event commemorating the inauguration of her father. Source: NASA HQ’s flickr photostream, U.S. Government Work.
Why is she in the news?
Ambassador Kennedy is the latest appointee to a post which historically has been held by famous figures in American politics such as former vice-president Walter Mondale, former Senate majority leader Mike Mansfield, former Senate majority leader Howard Baker, and former Speaker of the House Tom Foley. She succeeds Silicon Valley executive John Roos, who served during the first term of the Obama administration and earned the State Department’s Sue E. Cobb 2011 Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service for his efforts to support Japan after the triple disasters of March 11, 2011.
Ambassador Kennedy’s longstanding relationships with the Capitol Hill elite allowed her to move swiftly through the confirmation process and her appointment was welcomed in Japan as an indication of the high importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship. She will be the first woman to serve as the chief U.S. diplomat in Tokyo.
What can we expect in the future?
Ambassador Kennedy’s deep connections to President Obama suggest that the U.S.-Japan relationship will remain a priority during his second term. Her ties to Congress through her late uncle Senator Edward Kennedy were acutely evident during her confirmation process. On her way to unanimous confirmation, she was praised by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as “uniquely” qualified for the position.
Kennedy assumes the ambassadorship at a critical juncture in which the United States and Japan are working to strengthen security and economic ties and develop a joint vision for the relationship. During her hearing she identified promoting American trade and business interests, facilitating educational exchange, strengthening the bilateral security relationship, and ensuring the welfare of American servicemen and civilians in Japan as key issues going forward.
