United Nations: US President Donald Trump is pulling the nomination of firebrand Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be the permanent representative to the UN because of the party’s slender lead in the House of Representative.
He said in a Truth Social post on Thursday that he was asking “Elise, as one of my biggest Allies”, to remain in Congress to help deliver his “historic” agenda, and there were others who can do a “good job” at the UN.
The job of permanent representative to the UN, a Cabinet position, requires Senate approval, and she appeared to have enough support to win an OK.
But while other nominees went through the Senate process, her nomination was put on hold even though she had appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a day after Trump took over as President for her testimony and questioning.
The Republicans have a lead of only five seats in the House, with 218 seats to Democrats’ 215, with four vacancies, two of which are likely to go to Republicans in next week’s by-elections in Florida.
If three Republicans, either from the extreme right or from the moderate group, do not back a party-sponsored legislation, it could fail and, therfeore, Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson want to retain loyalists in the House.
“With a very tight Majority, I don’t want to take a chance on anyone else running for Elise’s seat,” Trump wrote.
He added, “Speaker Johnson is thrilled! I look forward to the day when Elise is able to join my Administration in the future.”
In the two months since former President Joe Biden’s appointee Linda Thomas Greenfield quit with the change in administration, the US is represented temporarily by a career diplomat, Dorothy Shea.
Trump, who is critical of the UN, is reconsidering participation in the world organisation and its affiliates, and contributions to them.
The US has quit the World Health Organisation, the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO.
At the Senate panel hearing, Stefanik said she would press for reforms at the UN and pursue an ‘America First’ agenda, empowered by the fact that the US contributes 22 per cent of the UN budget.
“Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, anti-Semitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism,” she added.
In January, Trump pulled the nomination of Patrick Shanahan to be the Defence Secretary when allegations of domestic abuse surfaced against him and he appeared to lose Senate support.
(IANS)
