Politico reported on Feb. 14 that the nomination of Elise Stefanik to be U.S. ambassador to the UN has been “put on ice.” The reason given is that her resignation from the House to take the UN post could put the Republican majority there in jeopardy. “The concern is … obviously the situation in the House and how narrow the majority is,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a brief interview Feb. 13. “I think they’re trying to figure out how to coordinate and time it all.” The Republicans currently have 218 seats, while the Democrats have 215, with two special elections to replace Republicans Mike Waltz, now President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, and Matt Gaetz, both from Florida, set for April 1.
Stefanik is a radical Zionist who endorsed Israel’s “Biblical right” to annex the West Bank during her Jan. 22 confirmation hearing, and has the full backing of billionaire Miriam Adelson, the widow of casino king Sheldon Adelson, although that is not said in the Politico report. What Politico does say is that whenever her nomination goes to the floor of the Senate, Stefanik is expected to pass easily, with perhaps even a few votes from Democrats.
Besides, not having a permanent representative at the UN won’t be such a big deal, it is said, because Trump “is a singular voice on foreign policy matters,” explained a former official familiar with the U.S. mission to the UN, and he is already withdrawing the U.S. from UN bodies in line with his vision for the multinational forum. “Trump is the only one who speaks on behalf of the administration on national security and foreign policy issues,” said the ex-official, who was granted anonymity to comment on the sensitive issue. “He has disdain for the UN, and there’s no need for a high-profile confirmed U.S. ambassador at the UN to carry out his agenda there. He’s doing that without her in place already.”
