Rep. Elise Stefanik, President Trump’s nominee to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday that she was committed to reforming the international organization — and the US’ financial contributions to it, citing deep concern over the body’s unfair treatment of Israel.
Asked to describe the UN in one word, the New York Republican said: “Antisemitic.”
To change that, Stefanik argued that the US needs “to be a voice of moral clarity on the UN Security Council and at the United Nations at large for the world to hear the importance of standing with Israel,” which she committed to doing if confirmed.
“President Trump has a tremendous record when it comes to standing with Israel, whether it’s the Abraham Accords, whether it’s his commitment to combating antisemitism or recognizing Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel.
“This is a strong, strong record, and I hope to do that at the UN if confirmed.”
But before reforms can be made, Stefanik pledged to review US funding for UN programs and subsidiaries to ensure the international organization is properly paying out the ones that advance safety and security — and, critically, American interests.
“If confirmed, I am committed to a full review across the UN’s programs. I think it’s very important that we do a full review, as the president announced the executive order today as well regarding all of foreign aid, and I would make sure that we are being good stewards of US taxpayer dollars,” she said, referencing Trump’s Tuesday executive order pausing all foreign assistance funding for 90 days.
“I think we need to roll our sleeves up deliver reforms and make sure that our dollars are going to programs within the UN that work, that have a basis in the rule of law, that have a basis in transparency and accountability, and strengthen our national security and our partnerships,” she said.
The United States is the largest single contributor to the UN, Stefanik said, adding that her priority will be to make sure that America’s investments are making the country safer, stronger and more prosperous — key themes of the new Trump administration.
“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 to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The US gave roughly $18 billion to the UN in 2022, the most recent fiscal year with full data available, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The vast majority of that funding — about 83% of which — was given voluntarily.
“This represents about a quarter of the roughly $70 billion the United States spends annually on foreign aid,” according to CFR.
She took particular aim at the United Nations Refugee Workers Association, which Congress voted to defund last year over its cozying up to Hamas in Gaza and Stefanik accused of “not meeting the mission of the UN’s founding principles.”
“There were individuals in UNRWA who participated, who executed and committed terrorist acts against Israel on Oct. 7. [Yahyah] Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, carried an UNRWA passport. You had a Hamas data center under UNRWA headquarters, so the rot is deep,” she said.
“Congress made the right decision. I was proud to be one of the leaders when it came to defunding UNRWA, and I am committed to holding them accountable.”
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), encouraged Stefanik to “reform” the UN, questioning whether the nation should even continue participating in the global intergovernmental organization it helped found after World War II.
“At this point, the US should seriously examine if further contributions and, indeed, participation in the UN is even beneficial to the American people,” he said.
But some, such as Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), expressed concern about the Trump administration’s intention to shift to an America-first perspective, warning Stefanik against pulling the United States too far back from engaging in the international space.
“I am worried that we’re going to just get out of the room, and then relegate ourselves to observer status, and then wonder why we’re losing the battle in the room,” he said. “I just want to know if you are committed to staying in those rooms to fighting for American priorities and values, rather than sort of taking your marbles and going home.”
Stefanik assured Shatz, saying “I think it’s very important that we stay in those rooms.
“We need to lead with our standards and our values, and frankly, the world is looking for us to lead, and that’s an important tool in our national security toolkit,” she said.
Stefanik would save some programs, pledging to “a review of all of our dollars going into various UN agencies and looking at what are most effective.”
For example, she said UNICEF and the World Food Program “maintain bipartisan support” and “delivered significant, significant results for millions around the globe and strengthens our national security.”
To further peace in the Middle East and defend the US Ally, Stefanik also suggested creating an Abraham Accords caucus in the United Nations, which would bring more countries into the fold on the Trump administration’s planned efforts to expand the peace agreement that began the normalization of relations between the Arab and Israel.
“We have an Abraham Accords caucus in Congress, I think we should consider starting an Abraham Accords caucus within the United Nations to build on President [Trump’s] success in delivering that historic result — the greatest breakthrough for normalization in the Middle East in over a quarter of a century,” she said.
While much of Stefanik’s testimony on Tuesday centered on Israel, she also spoke about holding accountable America’s adversaries, such as China — and helping Taiwan break further into the world stage.
“I am committed to making sure that Taiwan has the most maximum meaningful participation within the UN system, as it should in all international organizations,” she said.
“We have to be vigilant, both in the long term and the short term, to make sure that China is not able to make significant inroads with the CCP in international organizations.”
