KINGSTON, Jamaica – Former Arizona television news anchor and Republican politician Kari Lake will have to wait until at least September for a possible Senate vote on her nomination as the next United States Ambassador to Jamaica.
Lake’s nomination was listed for Senate consideration last Friday, but lawmakers did not vote on it before leaving for recess. The nomination remains pending and has not been rejected.
The Senate is not expected to resume sittings until September 14.
President Donald Trump nominated Lake in May to serve as Washington’s chief diplomatic representative in Jamaica. If confirmed, she would take up the post at the US Embassy in Kingston.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June, Lake pledged to work with the Jamaican government to tackle transnational criminal organizations, narcotics trafficking and lottery scams targeting Americans.
She also drew criticism from Beijing after saying the United States needed to counter China’s growing economic influence in Jamaica, particularly its investments in ports, infrastructure and other critical sectors, which she argued could have long-term strategic and security implications.
China rejected the criticism and defended its 53-year relationship with Jamaica, pointing to more than US$2.1 billion in investments and other assistance to the country.
The Chinese Embassy in Kingston said Beijing would continue to pursue a relationship with Jamaica and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region based on equality, mutual benefit and common development.
Lake also underscored Jamaica’s economic importance to the United States, noting that bilateral trade surpassed US$3 billion in 2025 and that Americans accounted for more than 70 percent of visitors to the Caribbean island.
China, meanwhile, said its bilateral trade with Jamaica exceeded US$1.4 billion in 2025.
