Rep. Elise Stefanik to Seek Confirmation as US Ambassador to the United Nations
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-NY, is set to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to seek confirmation for her role as the US ambassador to the United Nations under President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Several former diplomats who spoke to Fox News Digital have expressed concerns about the US expenditures at the UN, which have grown from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022.
According to a former senior US diplomat, Stefanik will need to be selective about what she pursues, citing areas of concern such as cronyism and corruption, and employing more Americans at the UN. The diplomat also noted that the UN is an organization that doesn’t align with US foreign policy, making it “kind of weird to be pouring in all this money” and seeing anti-American sentiment and support for causes that the US takes issue with.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, called for the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team to halt funding for the UN that is antithetical to American interests. She noted that the US has one vote out of 193 member states and is often outvoted by an undemocratic, anti-American, and anti-Israel mob on key issues.
Bayefsky also emphasized the need for strong accountability for the secretary-general’s use of US resources, citing the possibility of shell games with contributions and funding programs that the US doesn’t like. She suggested that the days of the UN as a global money-launderer for terrorists and antisemites dressed up as human rights experts and refugees need to stop.
A spokesperson for Rep. Stefanik stated that she is deeply honored to earn President Trump’s nomination and looks forward to earning the support of her Senate colleagues and working through the confirmation process. Once confirmed, she stands ready to push for needed reform and advance President Trump’s America First, peace through strength national security agenda on the world stage.
Hugh Dugan, a former National Security Council adviser on international organizations and US diplomat at the UN, created DOGE-U.N. to aid the reform effort. He hopes it can be a tool for collaboration and save DOGE some upfront analytical work. Dugan is working to identify practicable early wins that show the potential for making the UN more efficient and cost-saving.
The U.S. “can’t be passive shareholders” in the UN, Dugan said, and needs to develop better competency in Washington, better guidance, and more dedicated resources to address inefficiencies. He also emphasized the importance of strong accountability for the secretary-general’s use of US resources to ensure the UN does not play a shell game with contributions and continue to fund programs that the US doesn’t like.
The controversy surrounding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has also been a topic of debate. The agency has been accused of affiliating with terror organizations, and investigations into the issue have been neither transparent nor independent.
