Stefanik vows to keep the U.S. engaged at U.N. to counter China

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) assured skeptical Senate Democrats during her confirmation hearing as President Trump's pick for U.N. ambassador that she is committed to engaging in the United Nations, saying it’s a priority venue to challenge China’s push for dominance on the global stage.

Stefanik, the former Republican Conference Chair, is likely to get bipartisan support in a vote on the Senate floor, said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and added that the Republican congresswoman did a “good job.”

“I don’t agree with her on everything, but I thought she was strong and clear about what her values are,” Shaheen said.

Even as she criticized the global body as infected with "antisemitic rot" against Israel, Stefanik pledged to rally America’s conventional allies, build coalitions among smaller countries and push for leadership and staffing positions in key agencies to box out China and its supporters.

“They are the most significant national security challenge, I think generationally,” Stefanik said, referring to China. “This will be the greatest challenge that my generation faces,” she said, adding that standing alongside Israel “is a huge priority for me."

Democrats nodded in accession over the threat from China, demonstrating that some areas of bipartisan agreement remain, even as partisanship deepens among lawmakers on foreign policy — historically an area where Republicans and Democrats seek to project a united front on the global stage.

But a rash of executive actions signed by Trump on Monday night raised alarm among Democrats that the U.S. was already abdicating its role to China — withdrawing from the World Health Organization and pausing all U.S. development assistance for three months pending reviews.

“Can we agree that 90 days may be too long and that, if confirmed, you're going to try to figure out where to turn the spigot back on?” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), brought up to Stefanik about Trump’s executive order.

“Because right now this is a blanket freeze… it'd be better if we could unfreeze some of these things in 20 days rather than 90 days, because there are real geopolitical consequences to freezing all aid for three months.”

But Stefanik said she backed Trump's foreign aid order.

“We will work on the National Security Council to make sure that all the tools that are needed to protect our national security, and the diplomatic piece is an important part of that when it comes to the U.N.," she said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) raised concerns that the funding freeze would likely impact key U.N. programs that Stefanik was pledging support for — like the World Food Program. He also noted how assistance to allies plays a diplomatic role, as in Jordan, which is critical in the combustible Middle East, and in U.S. support for an economic corridor between the Philippines and Japan, which is important in pushing back against China.

Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the committee, acknowledged a “valid and legitimate” concern among his colleagues but said the Congress has power to amend executive orders.

“When you do a blanket executive order like that, sometimes law of unintended consequences takes over. Having said that, every one of these executive orders can be amended, and we have a history of amending them, both sides, over years,” he said.

Stefanik said she would defer to Trump, the National Security Council and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirmed Monday, on how to move forward with resuming funding.

Stefanik shed more light on what Trump’s "America first" foreign policy might look like in terms of U.S. engagement abroad, calling for detailing where every U.S. dollar is spent at the global body and ensuring that it delivers on “specific results” that are related to America’s national security.

“When I was referencing reforms, I was mostly talking about ensuring that all of our taxpayer dollars are going to U.N. entities that function very well. But I am open to having conversations about how to make it work better,” she said.

“I think we need to have a broader strategy reaching out to countries within the global south, where China's made significant inroads… and it's obviously not the U.N. alone, it's working with Secretary Rubio it's working with USAID, working with USTR and significant economic Investments that are happening in various other countries,” Stefanik said, referencing the U.S. Agency for International Development and the office of the trade representative.

“Don’t forget the DFC [Development Finance Corporation],” Coons interjected, referencing the public-private investment program that Trump signed into law during his first term.

The congresswoman committed to pushing for U.S. engagement at technical bodies at the U.N. — such as telecommunications, intellectual property, civil aviation, artificial intelligence — to counter China’s efforts to determine global standards in these arenas.

“We need to push back in the short term and long term against the [Chinese Communist Party’s] inroads and we need to do so with people as well, both at the lowest level, the starting entry levels within the U.N. system, but also the senior level and heads of these sub-U.N. agencies,” she said.

Rallying a strong coalition of smaller countries at the 193-member U.N. is a persistent challenge for the U.S. and its democratic partners. Groupings of nations from the Pacific, Africa and Latin America often feel their priorities are sidelined in the face of competition between democratic countries and China and Russia. Or, their issues get caught up in gridlock at the Security Council where the five permanent members hold veto power — the U.S., China, Russia, United Kingdom and France.

While competing against China for global influence will be an overarching priority of U.S. engagement at the United Nations, Stefanik, if confirmed, will also be charged with confronting a host of immediate challenges to peace and security.

This includes how the U.N. will respond to Syria’s caretaker government, which ousted the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad but is headed by a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The U.N. is also a player in helping maintain ceasefires brought over the finish line by the Biden administration, in Lebanon and between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And there’s a question what role the U.N. will play in any settlement between Russia and Ukraine that Trump has made it a priority to resolve.

Addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by Sudan’s civil war; maintaining support for Kenyan security forces in Haiti and pushing back against Iran’s human rights abuses and nuclear weapons ambitions are just a few of the other issues at the body.

Stefanik expressed support for career U.S. diplomats at the U.N. mission as critical to helping her navigate the complex technical challenges of the forum and the personalities of diplomats with longstanding ties compared to her relative novice.

“I hope to dig in and gain their expertise, particularly the regional expertise that many of the officials within the State Department serving at the U.S. U.N. Mission, it's very important.”

Julia Mueller contributed to this report.

Topics

China Signals It Is Open to a Deal Keeping TikTok in U.S.

The founder of the app’s parent, Beijing-based ByteDance, met with Elon Musk last year.
The Wall Street Journal - 1d
Stefanik hopes to promote Trump's 'peace through strength' approach at the U.N.

Elise Stefanik delivered her opening remarks at her Senate confirmation hearing to serve as U.N ambassador. She discussed her past work in Congress and intent to promote President Trump's "peace ...
NBC News - 13h
Watch Live: Elise Stefanik's confirmation hearing for U.N. ambassador

Rep. Elise Stefanik is expected to champion President-elect Donald Trump's "America first" agenda on the global stage.
CBS News - 13h
Meet the Cabinet: What to know about Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick for U.N. ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. NBC News campaign embed Alex Tabet takes a look at Stefanik's career and how ...
NBC News - 6d
US imposes export controls on chips for AI to counter China

American semiconductor industry warns move will aid competitors while EU has also protested against the new rules
Financial Times - Jan. 13
Export-Import Bank launches initiative to counter China's mineral dominance

The federal government is launching an initiative to support foreign minerals projects that exclude China as part of an effort to bolster U.S. supply chains. The Export-Import Bank (EXIM), a ...
The Hill - Jan. 8
Japanese steelmaker vows not to give up on buying U.S. Steel

Japan’s largest steelmaker said that it would not give up trying to purchase U.S. Steel even after President Joe Biden blocked the $15 billion bid last week.
NBC News - Jan. 7
Taiwan president vows to boost the island's defense budget as China threats rise

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has pledged to strengthen the island’s defenses in the face of escalating Chinese threats
ABC News - Jan. 1