republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik He faces questions from senators on Tuesday as he defends his career and qualifications to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik, one of President Trump’s most trusted allies in Congress, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a confirmation hearing less than 24 hours after Trump was sworn into office. Mr. Trump hopes that key members of his cabinet will be confirmed and take up their posts after he is sworn in as president on January 20. Stefanik is likely to be confirmed by a vote in the full Senate.
Stefanik, 40, will be the youngest U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. A Republican from New York, Stefanik has held leadership positions as chairman of the Republican Conference and served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also served as a committee member. And the skill set honed in Congress will serve her well, said John Alterman, senior vice president and Middle East program director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Alterman said Stefanik brings some of the most important qualities for a UN ambassador: a close relationship with the president and the ability to communicate and implement the president’s policies.
Alex Brandon/Associated Press
“The most important thing about being a representative is being able to have a relationship with the president, being able to speak for him and represent the administration’s policies,” Alterman said. “I think she’s very good at coming up with messages. She understands the president’s instincts, and the president likes her.”
“And I think the political skills that I developed in Congress will be very useful when I work at the United Nations,” Alterman continued. “So a lot of it is about building coalitions, neutralizing the opposition, finding compromises. All of those kinds of things are skills that Congressional or other kinds of political experience are best suited for.” is.”
Stefanik is expected to say, among other things, in prepared remarks:
“If confirmed, I will work to ensure that our mission to the United Nations serves the interests of the American people and embodies President Trump’s America First Peace philosophy through a strong foreign policy.
As hostages, including Americans, remain held by Hamas and the world faces one crisis after another, including national security challenges ranging from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, the United States remains strong and powerful. It is more important than ever to provide guidance. Moral clarity. This is especially important regarding Israel, our most cherished ally, which marked the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023.
I also deeply understand that, as a member of Congress, I must be a good steward of the American taxpayer. The United States is by far the largest contributor to the United Nations. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in supporting organizations that are against American interests, anti-Semitic, or involved in fraud, corruption, or terrorism.
We must strengthen our national security and invest in programs that deliver results. We must push for reforms to increase the effectiveness of United Nations programs. If confirmed, I will be the first Congressional ambassador to the United Nations in more than 20 years. And I have a deep respect and understanding of the oversight and spending role of the Legislature. I look forward to leveraging the strong relationships between the House and Senate to bring about much-needed reforms. ”
Trump’s choice to head the United States to the United Nations also makes him one of the organization’s most vocal critics. Stefanik accused the United Nations of being anti-Semitic and slammed its approach to Israel in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.
In September, Stefanik overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution calling on Israel to end its “illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories” within 12 months. “The rot of anti-Semitism is on full display as it punishes Israel for defending itself.” Stefanik has been a strong critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the Middle East situation and was the first senior congressman to visit Israel after the Hamas attack. She will definitely play a role in the aftermath of the incident. armistice agreement It came into effect this weekend between Hamas and Israel. .
While Stefanik supports Trump’s “America First” message and policies, arguing that the United States needs to focus its spending, energy and attention on issues that directly affect the United States, Stefanik said He has supported military aid to Ukraine in the past and previously voted in favor of sanctions on Russia. In 2022, she escalated her invasion of Ukraine, but she opposes the latest round of additional aid. In April 2024, she was one of 112 Republicans to vote against a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.
Stefanik said when Trump announced that he would elect her to the United Nations, “From day one, I am ready to advance President Donald Jr. Trump’s restoration of America first peace through strong leadership on the world stage.” ”
Alterman said she thinks people “underestimate her communication skills.”
“I think she’s very smart and knowledgeable,” Alterman said. “And having a U.N. ambassador who understands the impact of her words and actions will advance the administration’s policies.”
Who is Elise Stefanik?
Stefanik was elected to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District in 2014, making her the youngest Republican woman to serve in Congress at age 30. Since then, she has easily won re-election in a district in upstate New York. As chair of the Republican Conference, Ms. Stefanik is the highest-ranking woman in the House.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik was the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree, according to her office. She graduated from Harvard University, where she studied government.
In her 20s, she worked in the White House on President George W. Bush’s Domestic Policy Council.
Stefanik and her husband have one son.