FOX 1: President Trump sees “great promise” at the United Nations, said U.N. ambassador candidate Elise Stefanik, who will bring “reform” to the organization.
“When I discussed this nomination with President Trump, he told me he had great expectations for the United Nations if it focused on its founding mission of international peace and security. “We have advocated a ban on new wars,” she said. She will say this, according to excerpts of her opening statement from Tuesday’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee obtained by Fox News Digital.
She pledges to support Israel, which faces chronic criticism over its war in Gaza, and to work to ensure that Israel uses U.S. tax dollars to advance U.S. interests.
“Hostages, including Americans, remain held by Hamas, and the United States faces one crisis after another, including national security challenges from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. “It’s more important than ever to lead with strength and moral clarity,” Stefanik will say.
President Trump’s pick for U.N. ambassador will say the president has “high hopes” for the organization. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“As members of Congress, we also deeply understand that we must be good stewards of American taxpayers. The United States is by far the largest contributor to the United Nations. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in supporting ‘interests, anti-Semitism, or involvement in fraud, corruption, or terrorism. ”
“We must strengthen our national security and invest in programs that deliver results. To increase the effectiveness of UN programs, we must push for reforms. If approved, I will be the first U.N. ambassador to come directly from Congress in more than 20 years, and I have a deep respect and understanding of the legislative oversight and appropriations role, leveraging the strong relationships between the House and Senate. , we look forward to delivering much-needed reforms. ”
After Tuesday’s hearing in which Ms. Stefanik will be grilled about her plans to represent the United States at the United Nations, the Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on her confirmation ahead of a full vote in the Senate.
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Stefanik, who currently chairs the House Republican Conference, is expected to set out to approve the role of the United Nations. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has already said he will vote for her, and both are strong supporters of Israel. She has served on the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee, but when she asked questions about university presidents and policies surrounding the pro-Gaza protests during a Board of Education hearing last year, her work on the other side of the table was cut short. It became a hot topic.
The UN ambassadorship is a cabinet-level position, and Stefanik would meet regularly with the president to share updates and suggestions if approved.
Both Trump and Stefanik have been critical of the United Nations, with Trump cutting funding to certain U.N. agencies and programs during his first term.
Stefanik, who currently chairs the House Republican Conference, is expected to sail through to confirmation in her role representing the United States at the United Nations. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto, Getty Images)
Both Trump and Stefanik have been critical of the United Nations, with Trump cutting funding to certain U.N. agencies and programs during his first term. (AP Photo/Eduardo Muñoz Alvarez)
The United Nations, founded after World War II with the mission of promoting peace, development, and respect for human rights worldwide, relies on the United States for about one-third of its budget. President Biden increased U.S. financial contributions to the United Nations and its sister agencies, increasing from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022.
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In the same year, the United States donated $6.8 billion to Germany, the next largest donor, and about three times as much as Japan’s $2.7 billion.
This amount of funding would give the new administration leeway to withhold funding from the U.N. if the U.N.’s global interests do not align with U.S. interests, an idea some Republicans are already pushing. There is.
When the international organization chooses its next secretary general in 2026, Trump will be the president, and the United States will have veto power over any nominee.
The United Nations is particularly dependent on the United States for its global aid programs.
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In 2022, half of all contributions to the World Food Program will be transferred to approximately half of all contributions to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. provided a third. International Organization for Migration.
And critics warn that China is infiltrating the United Nations. The Chinese Communist Party doubled the number of its nationals employed at the United Nations from 2009 to 2021 to nearly 15,000.
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