Representative Elise Stefanik might have to take a step back from her ambassadorial nomination in order to cushion Republicans’ narrow majority in the House.
The New York lawmaker’s executive branch promotion is reportedly “in jeopardy,” with discussions held throughout Thursday morning as to whether or not to pull her nomination to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was aware of some of the discussions taking place to keep Stefanik in the lower chamber, according to CBS News. His caucus can currently only afford to lose six votes on any given issue, assuming that all Republicans are present. The House currently has four vacancies, with a five-seat Republican majority.
Stefanik was present at Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting at the White House in February.
The New York Republican has been one of Trump’s most ardent allies. She was, at one time, weighed as one of the top contenders to be his vice president, especially after she admitted in February 2024 that she would have put party before country and refused to certify the 2020 presidential election results if she had been in former Vice President Mike Pence’s shoes.
But having Stefanik, a longtime critic of the United Nations, act as the nation’s liaison to the global organization might not be good for the country’s diplomacy, especially as America’s Western allies begin to turn away from potential trade and military arrangements due to Trump’s tariff war.
Stefanik called for a “complete reassessment of U.S. funding of the United Nations” after the Palestinian Authority attempted in October to expel Israel from the organization for alleged war crimes and human rights abuses.
She won reelection in New York’s 21st congressional district in November while campaigning as a staunch defender of Israel in its war on Gaza, including protecting Israel’s decisions to eliminate humanitarian aid from the region. At the time of her first win in 2014, Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
She’s since made a name for herself in Trumpworld for her impassioned defenses of the real estate mogul during his first impeachment trial in 2019. The following year, she refused to certify the 2020 election results, elevating lies that Joe Biden had stolen the race.
Meanwhile, Democrats believe that there’s a chance they could flip Stefanik’s district after her scheduled confirmation hearing on April 2. After all, New York’s 21st congressional district is less conservative than other regions of the country where the GOP is also “anxious” about maintaining a stronghold, such as Florida’s 6th congressional district seat, which has been vacant since Mike Waltz became the administration’s bumbling national security adviser.
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