Politics
Elise Stefanik pledges an ‘America First’ agenda at the U.N. and a review of U.S. funding
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik opened her confirmation hearing Tuesday for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by pledging to implement President Donald Trump’s “America First” mandate and roll out a review of U.S. funding for some of the world body’s agencies.
Noting that the U.S. is the largest single contributor to the United Nations, she pointed to the children’s agency UNICEF and the World Food Program as examples of U.N. entities that are “effective” but said the U.S. has to ensure its investments are making America safer, stronger and more prosperous — echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism,” Stefanik said in her opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
She stressed the need to reform the world body, where lawmakers raised the ability of American adversaries Russia and China to veto resolutions in the U.N. Security Council, and went so far as to say that it has not lived up to its founding mission.
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican committee Chair, set the tone by sharply criticizing the U.N. at the start of the hearing, saying that Stefanik “can bring much-needed change” to the institution.
“At this point, the U.S. should seriously examine if further contributions and, indeed, participation in the U.N. is even beneficial to the American people,” the Idaho lawmaker said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “looks forward to working again with President Trump on his second term,” U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Monday.
When Trump announced Stefanik’s appointment, his former National Security Adviser John Bolton told The Associated Press that he sees her as the new version of Trump’s U.N. Ambassador in his first administration — Nikki Haley. Haley went on to challenge him, unsuccessfully, for the GOP nomination last year.
Stefanik “wants to run for President in 2028,” said Bolton, who also served as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. in President George W. Bush’s administration. “She realizes she has no foreign policy experience, so what better way than to become U.N. Ambassador. She stays two years, and then away we go.”
Stefanik is likely to be grilled about her views on the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and elsewhere as well as the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs — all issues on the U.N. agenda.
The United States pays about one-fifth of the U.N.’s regular budget, and she has already been questioned about her comments on cutting the U.N. budget and continuing support for its multiple agencies. Those tackle everything from health, education and migration to reproductive rights and nuclear proliferation.
She responded by saying she is open to reviewing agencies to ensure “that all of our taxpayer dollars are going to entities that function very well.”
Stefanik saw her profile rise after her aggressive questioning last year of a trio of university Presidents about antisemitism on their campuses, leading to two of their resignations — a performance Trump repeatedly praised.
She has been very vocal about supporting Israel, especially since the Hamas cross-border attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed about 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage. It led to the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, where a ceasefire that the U.S. helped broker has taken hold.
Stefanik has accused the U.N. of being a “den of antisemitism” for criticizing Israel’s air and ground attacks on Gaza, which have resulted in more than 46,000 Palestinian deaths, according to local health officials. They do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.
If confirmed, Stefanik said she plans to confront what she says is antisemitism at the world body.
Her limited foreign policy experience outside Capitol Hill is almost certain to come up among senators.
Stefanik most recently was the most senior and longest-serving woman on both the House Armed Services Committee and the coveted House committee that oversees national intelligence.
Stefanik was also tapped to be on a select committee focused on strategic competition between the U.S. and China and spent years as part of a group of House members negotiating the annual defense authorization bill, which determines funding for the military. In 2023, she also led a bipartisan delegation of members to the Indo-Pacific including Japan, Singapore and Thailand to meet with various government, military and cultural leaders in the region.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik worked in Bush’s White House on the domestic policy council and in the Chief of Staff’s office.
She was the youngest person in her freshman class in Congress — just 30 — and ascended to the House leadership team in 2021, becoming the only woman.
Unlike Rubio, who was confirmed in a unanimous vote Monday night, only one Democrat — U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — has publicly said he would vote to confirm Stefanik thus far.
But, many other Democrats have left meetings with her indicating their support, including U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who is Jewish and noted their discussions on how Stefanik “plans to push back on politically motivated actions” against Israel when at the U.N.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
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Multiple candidates are emerging to succeed term-limited Chuck Brannan in North Florida’s House District 10, which encompasses Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Union, and northern Alachua Counties.
Marshall Rawson, a member of the Florida Guard who aided Gov. Ron DeSantis’ illegal immigration fight in Texas, is looking to take his talents back to Tallahassee, where the University of Florida-trained lawyer served under Secretary of State Cord Byrd as a legal aide in addition to interning at the Department of Agriculture.
Unsurprisingly given his experience in Florida’s expedition to stem the tide of extralegal migration over the Mexican border, Lawson sees mitigation of Joe Biden’s border policies as central to his mission should he be elected.
“With the election of President Trump, voters sent a resounding message that the invasion at the border must be stopped and that corrections must be made, I will stand with our President and Governor to make this a reality while offering real, sustainable and long term solutions to the labor crisis throughout our state,” said Rawson, who is the North Florida Regional Director of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
It’s more than just the border for the candidate though.
“Florida has been the recognized leader of the states that rose up to push back against the Biden agenda and the radical left. The states have always been our safeguards for freedom, and to keep Florida strong, we must tackle the cost of living crisis, cut property taxes, stop the cannibalization of our vital rural farmlands and greenspaces, and protect our most vulnerable seniors and the unborn,” he said.
Rawson is the second filed candidate, joining Chase Brannan, the son of the outgoing lawmaker, in the field.
“My family history extends eight generations deep in Florida, especially in North Central Florida,” Brannan said earlier this month.
“Because of conservative principles instilled in me since childhood, I understand the value of community work and service to others. Therefore, I humbly offer my candidacy to serve as State Representative to the people of North Central Florida. I have seen first-hand how government can be used for the greater good but also harm the people of Florida. I will always fight to ensure the government serves the people. I strive to bring accessibility, conservative and rural values, and fairness to the citizens of North Central Florida.”
The winner of the GOP Primary will likely score an easy win in next November’s General Election, given the district’s strong conservative lean. In his final campaign for the seat, Chuck Brannan defeated Democrat Bobby Brady 74% to 26% last fall.
Rawson’s promise of standing with the Governor on police seems especially pointed at a moment when DeSantis has heavily criticized and even suggested he will fund Primary opponents for lawmakers who backed a Legislature-driven immigration bill over his proposal earlier this week. Rep. Brannon supported the bill.
But Rawson also comes from the agricultural sector, which has been in the middle of the controversy this week as DeSantis suggested many growers rely too heavily on cheap undocumented labor. Rawson owns and operates Free State Growers. He also served as an intern to former U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, a Georgia Republican with one of Congress’ most conservative records during his time in office.
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Jacob Ogles contributed to this report.
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