WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Caroline Kennedy told a U.S. Senate panel Thursday she was "humbled" by her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan.
Kennedy, 55, recalled the efforts of her father, President John F. Kennedy, to improve relations between the United States and Japan after World War II, and said he wanted to be the first president to make a state visit there, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"I'm conscious of my responsibility to uphold the ideals that he represented: a deep commitment to public service, a more just America and a more peaceful world," Caroline Kennedy told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way, and represent the powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies."
President Obama nominated Kennedy in July.
A spokesman for the committee said the panel will meet and discuss the nomination, but that has not yet been scheduled.
The Times said Kennedy is a prominent author and philanthropist, and received praise from Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for carrying on a legacy of public service, including raising funds for the New York City public school system during the last decade.
