WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s pick to represent the U.S. in Ottawa cleared a "sparsely attended" Senate confirmation hearing with little trouble.

David Jacobson, a big Obama fundraiser and the president’s nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada, is expected to be confirmed swiftly and start in Ottawa next month.

According to The Toronto Star, only one member of the 21-seat Senate Foreign Relations Committee was present for Jacobson’s testimony.

The Chicago lawyer said his first mission would be to address trade tensions between the two countries and quell Canadians’ anxieties over protectionist programs like Buy American.

According to the Star, Jacobson appeared genuinely enthusiastic about the job north of the border, calling his nomination "the honor of a lifetime."

"The strength of the relationship is measured not by the absence of such tension but the ability to move forward," Jacobson said.