▶ 0:18:05>> I just got back from the white house. Marco rubio is fully sworn in, installed. He was sworn in by vice president pence. Things are good -- vance. This is a public hearing of the foreign relations committee. We are doing america's work here. There has been interruptions.
▶ 0:18:37As I said when I started this meeting last time, the new chairman has zero tolerance for interruptions. There will be no interruptions. No communicating between anyone in the audience and either the witness or members of this committee. If there is, I will pause the hearing. You will be removed by my good friends here in blue. You will be banned from coming back here for the next 12 months.
▶ 0:19:05It is important we respect the first amendment here. There are all kinds of places you can communicate outside of this room. We are doing america's business. It's is important we focus on it, that we are efficient. We are always short of time. We ask everyone to respect that. If you don't, there is consequences. With that, do you have anything to add? Ranking member?
▶ 0:19:35Sen. Shaheen: By support making sure this hearing can be done and an orderly way that allows the witnesses to -- the witness to testify and allows members of the committee to ask their questions. I support the chairman's efforts.
▶ 0:19:50Chair Risch: Thank you very much. With that, I will make an opening statement. I will then refer to the ranking member to make an opening statement. We have some distinguished colleagues to introduce. You got time to sit their opening statements? You both have important things you have to do. Your choice. >> let our colleagues go, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:20:20Chair Risch: [laughter] don't do that to them. >> it is not that we want you out of here. Thank you. Thank you for welcoming me to the committee. I want to thank my good friend elise stefanik for honoring me today to have the privilege to introduce her before this committee. I want to say what a privilege it is to share the podium with my friend tom cotton.
▶ 0:20:49Chair Risch: Congratulations to both of you and your positions on this committee. It's an honor to be here to introduce someone I admire greatly. The job she has been selected to carry out is not an easy one but it is extremely important. And it's early formation it was believed the united nations required U.S. leadership in both its creation and the actual business of the organization to prevent conflict and advance freedom.
▶ 0:21:17Chair Risch: Lately, when many of us look at the united nations, the body that meant to advance peace and freedom and human dignity, we don't see those american values reflected. We see rampant and we see rampant a anti-semitism. We see oppression and autographed -- autocrats celebrated and elevated to leadership positions.
▶ 0:21:43Chair Risch: We see china, russia and empowered in this organization to advance their values, not the values of peace and freedom that americans stand for. It is clear the need to reestablish U.S. leadership at this broken institution, we need to do that. I cannot think of anyone more qualified or more ready to fulfill that role that my friend, elise stefanik. I have known elise for several years.
▶ 0:22:11Chair Risch: I am excited to highlight her qualifications for this important role for which she has been nominated. As a member of the house of representatives she has shown remarkable leadership. As a member of both the armed and intelligence committees she has shown an exceptional command of national security issues . Elise understands the dangerous world and the threats our country faces. She has the strength and the skill to reassert U.S. leadership on the world stage.
▶ 0:22:40Chair Risch: A world stage that needs more clarity and leadership now -- moral clarity and leadership now more than ever. She has shown that moral clarity by exposing -- she has shown her moral clarity by exposing anti-semitism on our college campuses.
▶ 0:22:56Chair Risch: She has shown that moral clarity by posting on social media every single day about the innocent hostages taken by hamas during the horrific attacks of october 7, more than 450 days later. The united nations is a tough place. Elise is from new york but she's never backed down from a challenge.
▶ 0:23:21Chair Risch: At the time of her first congressional election she was youngest woman ever elected to the congress in the united states history. She wanted to become the youngest woman ever to serve in elected house leadership. She will confidently and skillfully execute for president trump and for all the american people at the united nations. Additionally, on a personal level, elise is a good mother. You can see her son sam here. They have legos on hold ready to go.
▶ 0:23:51Chair Risch: A great wife, great daughter, and a wonderful friend. For steady hand and genuine caring nature combined with her fierce intellect will bring exactly that person president trump and our nation need at the united nations. I look forward to voting to support her when I have the chance and I thank all of you for the opportunity to have her before you today. Thank you.
▶ 0:24:13Chair Risch: Thank you very much, senator capito. Senator cotton.
▶ 0:24:19Sen. Cotton: It is my honor to join senator capito to injuries my friend and colleague elise stefanik as nominee for ambassador to the united nations. Elise has an outstanding record of fighting for america's interest at home and abroad. I urge members of this committee to confirm her swiftly and hopefully unanimously. The united nations has many problems. Chief among them are communists, chinese influence and incessant targeting of israel.
▶ 0:24:48Sen. Cotton: From weeding out anti-semitism to opposing harmful chinese and russian policies, the next u.n. Ambassador must help restore sanity to the united nations. I can think of no better person for this role than elise stefanik. In congress, she has unapologetically stood up to your adversaries and will do the same at the united nations. As a senior member of the house armed services committee and the house intelligence committee elise stefanik understands the stakes of competition with communist china.
▶ 0:25:18Sen. Cotton: She helped stand up the china task force that became the bipartisan select committee on the chinese common's party. -- communist party. She let legislation to deter china and strengthen the united states. I have had the fallujah partnering with elise on several bills, including one to ban chinese and tutoring companies at the department of defense and another to counter chinese drugs in america.
▶ 0:25:43Sen. Cotton: I am confident in her ability to stand up to israel against the united nations' often blatant anti-semitism. She has long advocated for billions of dollars for israeli capabilities like the lifesaving iron dome an anti-tunneling technology. Her questioning of college presidents in defense of jewish students sent shockwaves around higher education, resulting in the resignation of the harvard and university of pennsylvania presidents.
▶ 0:26:14Sen. Cotton: She is also a tireless advocate for hostages taken by hamas. Elise dedicated her to career -- dedicated her career to public service. She joined congress to serve the people of northern new york. To her constituents she is best known for working across the aisle to improve the lives of new yorkers. At the u.n., I know she will put americans first.
▶ 0:26:39Sen. Cotton: I commend president trump for the nomination and I'm grateful to elise for answering the call of duty. I would like to think her family. Elise and her husband are parents to their three-year-old son sam. It was apparently departing at this very moment. -- who is apparently departing at this very moment. I'm sure one day sample look at this moment and elise's service with much to be proud of.
▶ 0:27:06Sen. Cotton: Even if today, like my boys, he things it is mostly boring politics stuff. I am here to happily and proudly offer my strong support to this dedicated public servant and american patriot. Our next ambassador to the united nations, elise stefanik. She is the right person for the job. I encourage all my colleagues to process her nomination promptly and unanimously. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 0:27:36Sen. Cotton: Chairman and senator shaheen.
▶ 0:27:37Chair Risch: Thank you, senator cotton. Well said. I know you have things that you have got to attend to. We appreciate you coming to the committee and helping us out. Well, representative stefanik, welcome to our committee. You will find us kind and generous most of the time. We look forward to hearing from you.
▶ 0:28:06Chair Risch: Senator shaheen and I will make a few remarks and then we will yield to you and hear what you have to say. Let me start by saying there is great difficulty at the united nations today. I am confident you can bring much-needed change. This is widely recognized by people on the hill. They both made reference to it.
▶ 0:28:33Chair Risch: One of the unfortunate things and maybe this hearing will help is the vast majority -- vast majority of the american people do not recognize the deterioration that has happened at the united nations and how it has strange -- straight from its original purposes -- stary its original purposes -- sta trayed from its original purpose. We need significant change as threats continue to grow.
▶ 0:29:01Chair Risch: Representative stefanik, your position will be at the heart of the U.S. efforts to stand up to the authoritarian axis that seeks to undermine the united states at every turn and ensure our partners and allies are also doing their part. I know you're up to that task. The u.n. Was founded to be a force for peace and stability in the world. An admirable goal. It is not working. Since its founding, the united states helped shape the u.n.
▶ 0:29:36Chair Risch: With supports in dollars. Lots of dollars. And in spirit. Today the united states remains the largest funder of the u.n. System. We pay 22% of the regular budget. We pay 25% of the peacekeeping budget. What have the american people gotten for these investments? They have chaos. Complete dysfunction at the u.n. A warped sense of right and wrong.
▶ 0:30:06Chair Risch: And please have need of reform, the U.S. is constant he asked to give more to the u.n. Over time the organization has drifted further away from american values, putting american national security in jeopardy. Representative stefanik, I know that president trump nominated you because he knows you are not afraid to stand up for the american people.
▶ 0:30:33Chair Risch: Ensure that taxpayer dollars are truly putting america first and push back the real problems -- constant problems that plague the united nations. As -- in the security council, which is charged with maintaining international peace, security consensus and partnership, on the many issues the world faces, it has become a fantasy.
▶ 0:31:02Chair Risch: Critical issues that demand the council's attention fall to the wayside. Accountability for vladimir putin's invasion of ukraine. China's protest human rights abuses. Genocide in the sudan. Regime change in syria. All go unaddressed by what is supposed to be the leading international organization to resolve these conflicts. As the authoritarian axis grows and competes against democratic nations, the u.n.
▶ 0:31:29Chair Risch: Will descend into the paralysis that has marked the cold war if it continues on its course, which it has no indication it is changing. To make matters worse, our adversaries have weaponized the u.n. Against americans and democratic interests. Prior to the fall of assad, putin used the security council to block any action to hold aside regime accountable -- the assad regime accountable for its crimes against amenity.
▶ 0:31:59Chair Risch: China has used his influence to block attempts to discuss the chinese government sponsored genocide against the uighurs. They have blocked our ally taiwan from fully participating in the u.n. China also manipulates the u.n. Personnel system, which we all know. They have used it to install chinese diplomats in the u.n. Bureaucracy that only served china's goals and interests.
▶ 0:32:25Chair Risch: There is a deep, deep anti-israel bias within the united nations that has only grown stronger since hamas' her rent is attack against israel that her rent is attack against israel on october 7. This was spearheaded by the u.n. Relief and works industry relief and works ind agency that relief and works ind agency thad employees participate in october 7 terrorist attacks and allowed schools and facilities be used by hamas. These are U.S.
▶ 0:32:52Chair Risch: Tax dollars that partially help fund unru partially help fund unrw. It openly employs terrorists. Dave lesko. What I described is that with the american people want out of the taxpayer dollars.
▶ 0:33:15Chair Risch: Are consultation -- we should serve americans first and you will blinged that -- bring that loud and clear. I believe it is reasonable to evaluate every u.n. Agency to determine if what they are doing is beneficial to america and hold them accountable until the answer is a resounding yes. Anything less should not be tolerated.
▶ 0:33:43Chair Risch: If the agencies cannot be changed, and at this point the U.S. should seriously examine if further contributions and indeed participation in the u.n. Is even beneficial to the american people. I'm interested to hear your plans for change at the u.n. I look forward to seeing tremendous work I know you will do for our country to make the world a safer place for future generations. Thank you.
▶ 0:34:12Sen. Shaheen: Thank you, Mr. chairman and welcome congresswoman stefanik. Welcome to your family he was here today as well. -- who is here today as well. Whether fighting inspections diseases or stemming the flow of fentanyl, combating transnational crime that cost americans billions of dollars, negotiating political settlements to dangerous conflicts, the work of the united nations directly affects americans all across this country. We benefit from u.n.
▶ 0:34:42Sen. Shaheen: Peacekeeping missions that would otherwise fall to the american military. We are better off because of efforts to stabilize societies and provide assistance in places like sudan, syria and ukraine. We don't just do this out of the goodness of our hearts. We find these efforts because they make americans, as secretary rubio said, safer, stronger and more prosperous. Equally important, if we don't do it our adversaries and competitors will.
▶ 0:35:14Sen. Shaheen: Representative stefanik, welcome again to this committee. Congratulations on your nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the united nations. From working in the bush administration on the domestic policy council, to being in the youngest woman elected to congress, you have strong credentials in the relevant experience for this role. I would like to hear your vision for the united states at the united nations.
▶ 0:35:40Sen. Shaheen: I have taken note of the skepticism in the united nations expressed by others in the incoming administration and also expressed by your introducers today and chairman risch. In the past you have voted to defund the united nations. I would agree that the united nations is an imperfect body. But the u.n. Is a force multiplier of american taxpayer money. U.S.
▶ 0:36:08Sen. Shaheen: Disengagement is something our adversaries want, especially russia and china. At a hearing this week secretary rubio said china is our most potent and dangerous adversary. Beijing's contribution to the u.n. Is almost seven times what it was two decades ago. China has had great success increasing the number of nationals employed at the u.n.. They are ready and very eager to fill the void.
▶ 0:36:39Sen. Shaheen: Under the first trump administration the U.S. withdrew from unesco, an agency that among many things combats anti-semitism and establishes international technology standards that affect our industries. When we step back, beijing stepped in and is now unesco's largest financial contributor. I'm interested in your thoughts on how the U.S. can compete with china across every united nations agency. One agency at the u.n.
▶ 0:37:06Sen. Shaheen: I think is particularly important is the u.n. Population fund, unfpa. One in every five girls is married before reaching the age of 18. Too many girls into many countries face -- in too many countries face mutilation and childhood marriage.
▶ 0:37:35Sen. Shaheen: It reaches three times as many countries as our bilateral family-planning program. In some areas like dart for -- darfur, is the main provider of lifesaving productive health supplies. Things like talbert delivery kits that reduce infection for women -- childbirth delivery kits that reduce infection for woman outside of clinical settings. I believe this work is a replaceable. I hope we can work together to advance the united interests at the u.n.
▶ 0:38:03Sen. Shaheen: One united states takes a leadership role at the u.n., americans and people around the world are better off. Thank you, Mr. chairman. I welcome the testimony of congresswoman stefanik and hearing her views.
▶ 0:38:17Chair Risch: Thank you so much, senator shaheen. Representative stefanik, the floor is yours will stop Rep.
▶ 0:38:23Stefanik: Chairman risch, ranking member shaheen, thank you for the opportunity to appear today. I would like to thank the senators from both sides of the aisle who met with me over the past several weeks. It is the honor of my lifetime to earn president trump's nomination to serve in his cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the united nations.
▶ 0:38:45Stefanik: If confirmed, I stand ready to implement president trump's mandate from the american people to deliver america first peace through strength national security leadership on the world stage. Before I begin, I would like to recognize my family. We all know in public office that we would not have the opportunity to serve were not for the support of our loved ones. I would like to begin with my mom, dad and brother. Melanie, ken and mattie. My mom and brother are watching from upstate new york.
▶ 0:39:16Stefanik: There is no question I would not be here without their lifetime of unconditional love, support and encouragement. For that I am forever grateful. I want to thank my incredible supportive husband matt, who was also here, and most important our pride and joy, our three-year-old son sam who made his debut at the U.S. senate. He's come to pull on the house side. New on the senate. Thank you for the warm welcome. Sam is our greatest blessing.
▶ 0:39:42Stefanik: Of all the titles I have held, congresswoman, chairwoman, representative or ambassador of confirmed, my most important title will always be mom. I appear before you today as the daughter, sister, wife, mother, congresswoman, patriotic upstate new yorker and a proud american. I believe deeply in the american dream because I've had the opportunity to live it. I was born and raised in upstate new york, the cradle of the american revolution.
▶ 0:40:09Stefanik: I grew up in a small business family were my parents instilled in me the importance of hard work, ingenuity and grit. I was blessed to be the first member of my immediate family to have the opportunity to graduate from college. I graduated from harvard with honors and then worked at the white house in the west wing of the domestic policy council and the chief of staff's office. After nearly a decade working in public policy in washington, I returned home to work in my family's small business and decided to run for congress.
▶ 0:40:39Stefanik: In 2014, I was elected to congress, making history as the of this woman ever elected at the time. In congress I have fought tirelessly for the hard-working families of new york's 21st district, delivering bipartisan results for my constituents. I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the house republican conference chair, becoming the highest-ranking woman in congress at the time and the youngest woman of either party to serve in top elected house leadership.
▶ 0:41:06Stefanik: Over the last decade I have served on the armed services committee, the intelligence committee, the house education and workforce committee, and I'm proud to be the longest serving woman on both the armed services intelligence committees. On these national security committees I have legislated on a number of critical issues ranging from military readiness, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing and cybersecurity, to missile defense.
▶ 0:41:31Stefanik: I have worked to enhance american intelligence capabilities, strengthen our alliances and partnerships and deter o our adversaries. I have been leader in combating anti-semitism in higher education. My oversight work led to the most viewed testimony in history of congress. This hearing with the university presidents was heard around the world and viewed aliens of times.
▶ 0:41:56Stefanik: Because it exposed the antisemitic rot in colleges and universities and was a watershed moment in american higher education. When discussing this nomination with president trump, the president shared he sees great promise in the united nations if it focuses on its founding mission of international peace and security. President trump has long advocated for peace and no new wars. He delivered the abraham accords, the largest step to regional peace in the middle east in a quarter-century.
▶ 0:42:26Stefanik: If confirmed, I will work to ensure our mission to the united nations serves the interests of the american people and represents president trump's america first peace through strength foreign policy. As the world faces crisis after crisis, with hostages including americans still held at hamas' captivity, to national secured he challenges ranging from china, russia, north korea and iran, it has never been more critical for the united states to lead with strength and moral clarity.
▶ 0:42:58Stefanik: This is especially important regarding our most precious ally, israel, who faced the bloodiest day for the jewish people since the holocaust on october 7, 2023. As a member of congress I understand deeply we must be good stewards of the U.S. taxpayer dollars. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the u.n. By far. Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping of entities that are counter to american interests, antisemitic or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism.
▶ 0:43:29Stefanik: We must invest in programs to strengthen our national security and deliver results, to increase the efficacy of u.n. Programs driving reforms. If confirmed, I will be the first ambassador in over two decades to come directly from congress. I have deep respect and understanding of the oversight and appropriations role of the legislative branch. I look forward to using my strong house and senate relationships to deliver these much-needed reforms. We are truly at a critical point in history.
▶ 0:43:58Stefanik: The world must be reminded of the key mission of the united nations and america's role as its formative leader. Following the devastation cartridge and holocaust of world war ii, the world was desperate for peace, stability, human rights and dignity and world order. As outlined in article one, chapter one of the u.n.
▶ 0:44:15Stefanik: Charter, the purpose of the united nations is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations based on the shared respect for the principle of equal rights, solve international problems, and harmonize the actions of nations. The u.n. Has not lived up to the founding mission and we must demand better. It's imperative to ensure strong american leadership at the united nations. I sure president trump's vision of a u.n.
▶ 0:44:44Stefanik: Reformed by strong america first peace through strength and a return to this founding mission of promoting peace and security around the world. In closing, I will be grateful to my constituents in new york's 21st district for giving me the opportunity to serve them as their voice at the highest levels of congress. 10 years ago, upstate and north country voters took a chance on the young first time unknown candidate who very few believed could win.
▶ 0:45:10Stefanik: I want to thank the hard-working families, small businesses, farms, law enforcement officers, military families, veterans, seniors, somebody with whom I've had worked so quickly -- closely to deliver results on behalf of our communities. Thanks to mike's joinery dedicated staff in both the district and washington offices for serving tirelessly for the past decade.
▶ 0:45:31Stefanik: If confirmed, my family and I are excited for the next chapter to serve in president trump's cabinet and I commit to the american people I will work my hardest in the coming years to lead with moral clarity and american values. I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:45:47Chair Risch: Thank you very much, congresswoman. We appreciate those remarks. We will do a round of questions. Five-minute questions. The ranking never and I have discussed that an agreed to that. That doesn't mean it's going to end and we will attempt to do another five-minute round for those who are anxious to have more questions answered. With that, let me start.
▶ 0:46:16Chair Risch: First of all, I was impressed to hear what president trump has insisted on and certainly talked tessa about. The fact that to us about. -- talked to us about. The founding mission of the u.n. Is a bright and brilliant light. The difficulty is the execution of their mission bears no resume once the weather original mission was, which is unfortunate.
▶ 0:46:50Chair Risch: -- bears no resemblance to what their original mission was. Doing bilateral and multilateral agreements with other countries without the united nations. And to perform some of the things the united nations is attending to do ourselves. We are the data states of america. We can do anything -- united states of america. We can do anything and perform those functions. The best example is the ever him accords.
▶ 0:47:22Chair Risch: -- abraham accords. They will be looked at it history as a turning point in the middle east. It was done under president trump last time. It was president trump's administration who is the leading force on this and the united nations had absolutely nothing to do with it. It is a great success in the middle east, a place where you see very few great successes. We can do these things. We put tremendous amount of money into the united nations to do things we need done.
▶ 0:47:52Chair Risch: Feeding folks. We do a lot of it ourselves through usaid, but a lot through the u.n. In doing that, the u.n. Hired unrwa to do it. I don't want any connection to unrwa. Yet here we are working with them.
▶ 0:48:14Chair Risch: I think there is a lot of things we can do to start with that will ratchet down the number of people that are clogging the new york streets with employees from other places and make it a mission that is our own. Your thoughts?
▶ 0:48:30Rep. Stefanik: I wanted to point out -- I'm glad you referenced the abraham accords. We can look to the success of our bilateral relationships and multilateral partnerships and build on that within the u.n. We have the abraham accords caucus in congress.
▶ 0:48:49Rep. Stefanik: I think we should consider starting an abraham accords caucus within the united nations to build on the president's success delivering that historic result, the greatest breakthrough for normalization in the middle east and over a quarter of a century. I share your commitment to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensuring our investments to any foreign policy strategy -- this goes hand-in-hand with secretary rubio testifying represent american interests.
▶ 0:49:19Rep. Stefanik: Does it make america safer? Does it make america more prosperous? I hope to work effectively with this committee, are oversight members and appropriators to ensure we deliver reform and ensure each dollar is going to strengthen our national security. I think we can look to the programs that are successes, which typically have strong american leadership and voluntary funding.
▶ 0:49:41Rep. Stefanik: What is the world food program, which has significant bipartisan support on this committee, and both chambers of congress and supported by the american people. Often times the most successful agencies within the u.n. Have transparency, accountability standards and are led either with strong american leadership or allied countries. That is a bit of feedback to your question.
▶ 0:50:02Chair Risch: Very quickly. One of the things that has concerned me in recent years is we keep getting outvoted at the u.n. It turns out that every country has one vote. When you look around at these countries that are voting against us, you find out you have the chinese in there spreading money throughout the government to individuals, to projects in these countries and they buy their vote.
▶ 0:50:32Chair Risch: This is a real problem and it is the kind of thing that gets us to the point where we can't even get a resolution that condemns russia for their invasion of ukraine and absolute violation of the foundations of the united nations. When the secretary-general comes to see me, I say you guys cannot even get a resolution condemning this. What are you doing for us? How are you making this work?
▶ 0:51:03Chair Risch: I get a word salad in response. Your thoughts on the problem with the chinese buying off these countries?
▶ 0:51:09Rep. Stefanik: It is no question thathe ccp made significant inroads. This is a long-term strategy they have at the united nations. We need to have strong american leadership working with our allies to push back on this. As you pointed out, every country gets one vote. I believe we need have a strategy to push back on the ccp's inroads within the global south and within the western hemisphere.
▶ 0:51:34Rep. Stefanik: We need to build on our bilateral partnerships and make sure they understand the importance of a two way partnership with the united states. I think the personnel strategy of the ccp has been a particular concern u.n. U.n. Within the
▶ 0:51:50Chair Risch: Clearly.
▶ 0:51:51Rep. Stefanik: China made inroads in placing ccp leaders and chinese diplomats and physicians as head of various sub u.n. Agencies, but also at the most junior level. We need a human capital strategy working with allies to push back on that.
▶ 0:52:06Chair Risch: I appreciate your thoughts. I have no objection to countries having a vote. What bothers me is the corruption and the fraud on the chinese buying off the vote with money is flatter money is flatt from. -- flat wrong.
▶ 0:52:24Sen. Shaheen: Welcome and thank you for your willingness to continue to serve this country and for your past service in the house. While I think we would agree that the u.n. Is not perfect, it is a force multiplier for the U.S. and a prime example of global burden sharing in times of crisis. I was pleased to see the trump administration will maintain this position, U.S. ambassador to the united nations as a cabinet level position.
▶ 0:52:56Sen. Shaheen: You have talked a little about this already in your responses. How will you make sure the work of the u.n. Is understood to help advance U.S. interests around the world? More important, how can you help convince members of congress who were skeptics that are contributions and leadership in human agencies must continue to prevent --u.n. Agencies must continue to prevent adversaries from assuming these roles?
▶ 0:53:23Rep. Stefanik: I appreciate our opportunity to visit ahead of time. I will start with your question related to how we convince the american people and elected officials of the importance of investments. As I pointed out the chairman risch, doing a review of our dollars going into various agencies and looking at what are most effective. Unicef is another example.
▶ 0:53:49Rep. Stefanik: We voluntarily commit and it maintains bipartisan support and delivered significant results for millions around the globe. It strengthens our national security. When it comes to key questions, does it make america safer, stronger, more phosphorus? Those are programs that do. I clearly think there are programs that are not meeting the mission of the u.n., the founding principles. Unrwa is an example.
▶ 0:54:18Rep. Stefanik: We will likely have a policy disagreement but I want to roll her sleeves up, deliver reforms and make sure our dollars are going to programs within the u.n. That work that have a basis in the rule of law, a basis in transparency and accountability and strengthen our national security and partnerships.
▶ 0:54:35Sen. Shaheen: I would point out right now we are not funding unrwa.
▶ 0:54:39Rep. Stefanik: Absolutely. I voted to defund unrwa.
▶ 0:54:45Sen. Shaheen: I talked about unmpa. The opportunity to provide family-planning, maternal health care, midwife training, interventions, whole child marriage, address the practice of female general to meet alicia and, -- genital mutilation, and ensure healthy families. What you commit to reviewing unfmp unfmfpa?
▶ 0:55:14Rep. Stefanik: I'm committed to doing a review across the u.n. Programs but since epically unfpa. It's important we do a full review as the president announced the executive order today regarding all of foreign aid and I would make sure we are being good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars. I have a very strong record when it comes to standing up for women's health issues.
▶ 0:55:40Rep. Stefanik: Particularly addressing maternal mortality rates, addressing pre-and postnatal care, addressing infant malnutrition. I think that is very important. You have my commitment to do that review of confirmed.
▶ 0:55:53Sen. Shaheen: I appreciate your record on that and I think it's very important to remind everyone that women make up half the world's population and we need to do what we can to ensure their health is also protected. In april, you said vladimir putin's war in ukraine constituted genocide. You called for the delivery of security assistance to ukraine. At the u.n.
▶ 0:56:19Sen. Shaheen: We have seen inconsistent support for ukraine. We have seen initiatives and less support for initiatives to hold rush accountable. -- russia accountable. How would you use her role as ambassador to address and punish russia's ongoing attempted genocide in ukraine?
▶ 0:56:40Rep. Stefanik: I support president trump's commitment to bring the war to a resolution. To stop the killing. He campaigned on that issue and he feels very deeply and I support that. I believe it falls squarely in line with the founding mission of the united nations to bring international peace and security.
▶ 0:57:00Rep. Stefanik: If you look at my record over the course of my time on the house armed services committee and the house intelligence committee, I have a strong record when it comes to deterring russia, pushing back, including during president trump's term voting for defensive aid ukraine. I believe -- aid to ukraine.
▶ 0:57:19Rep. Stefanik: I'm proud that during president trump's first term putin did not invade another country because of that strong peace through strength leadership in the rebuilding that we passed through the national defense authorization act in president trump signed into law. I think our efforts should be supporting -- my effort will support president trump's mission to bring that to a resolution and to deter russia in the long term.
▶ 0:57:42Sen. Shaheen: How do we hold rush accountable for some of the human rights abuses that have happened in ukraine for their destruction of infrastructure in the country, for the lives that are lost? This is a war that only vladimir putin's initiative started. Are there things we can do at the u.n. Devil hold rush accountable? --that will hold rush accountable?
▶ 0:58:10Sen. Shaheen: -- russia accountable?
▶ 0:58:14Rep. Stefanik: Addressing and bringing that to a resolution. I will work with the national security council and my colleagues in the cabinet who sit at the national security spaces to use this position at the united nations to support his strategy and give him maximum flex ability to bring this to a resolution -- flexibility.
▶ 0:58:35Chair Risch: Senator ricketts.
▶ 0:58:36Sen. Ricketts: Welcome to the committee and thank you for stopping by my office and talking before this committee. I appreciate your service to our country and look forward to strong credentials you bring to the table to be the ambassador. Winston churchill said the u.n. Was set up not to give was set up not to giet us to heaven but save us from hell. But talk about the corruption going on.
▶ 0:59:07Sen. Ricketts: The mismanagement, the rot and so forth. You have mentioned the concept we have to have reform. That will be very important. We talked about how much american taxpayers put into the u.n. $18 billion a year. In 2022, that was more than 185 other member nations combined. German risch -- chairman risch mentioned the overall budget. We invest a lot.
▶ 0:59:40Sen. Ricketts: We talked about these reforms. Do you believe we can leverage the money we are putting into the u.n. To drive that reform? Can we say to the, we will put money -- the u.n., we will put money into the programs if you establish transparency? If you don't, we are pulling our money up. Is that a way to drive reforms?
▶ 1:00:01Rep. Stefanik: We have to. We owe it to the american taxpayers to make sure we answer the key questions of does it make america safer, stronger and more prosperous. That's important to me as an elected official currently. Representing. I understand we had to be good stewards of the U.S. taxpayer dollars. That is a key tool for us to demand greater reforms and transparency.
▶ 1:00:25Sen. Ricketts: One thing we have talked about is how communist china pushes its interest. The chairman laid out some of the problems with what china is doing. What can we do to be able to get more U.S. leadership to combat that?
▶ 1:00:46Rep. Stefanik: We need a strategy and this came up in virtually every conversation with senators from both sides of the aisle and he needs to be a long-term strategy working closely with our allies and partners, both at the most junior levels and at the more senior levels within the u.n. We need to make sure we are running candidates, either americans or allied nations in the elections process for key leadership posts.
▶ 1:01:13Rep. Stefanik: We need to pay attention to technical organizations, whether it is telecommunications, civil aviation. Another way is we to ensure taiwan has maximum meaningful participation in international organizations. I believe it is important to ensure the language -- we have seen china trying to insert their specific language, which is counter to our values.
▶ 1:01:40Rep. Stefanik: We need very strong mandarin expertise and keep a close eye on that as well. And all the documents and statements coming out of the u.n. System at large -- writ large.
▶ 1:01:56Sen. Ricketts: I will add onto that. Between 2009 and 2021, communist china increased its employment of nationals in the u.n. By 85%. It is not just about leadership of agencies but also about how many people just work there at the u.n.
▶ 1:02:21Sen. Ricketts: We would be naive to think they are not driving communist china's agenda with whatever role they have. Talk about how -- the strategy for leadership at how to recruit more americans and other allied people to do the work of the regular u.n.?
▶ 1:02:39Rep. Stefanik: We have to recruit at the most junior levels to work the way up into the system. We need a strategy working with secretary rubio to ensure we have the highest caliber, which we do of course in terms of those that are serving at the U.S.-human mission -- U.S.-u.n. Mission. I think that is very important.
▶ 1:03:01Rep. Stefanik: I intend to have opportunities to partner with higher education institutions, private sector, opportunities in each of your states or house never district for ideas we can help address this long-term personnel challenge.
▶ 1:03:16Sen. Ricketts: That will be a key thing, to reach out and find new ways to be able to recruit people in. If we don't have our people in the u.n., we are leaving it open to communist china to do what they are doing. This is one of the ways they are trying to displace us as a world power. Xi jinping laid out clearly that is what he was to do. I look forward to another round of questions.
▶ 1:03:42Chair Risch: Senator coons. >> by welcome to your family, matt and sam who I hope we'll get to enjoy some of the hearing in person. I enjoyed our conversation and look forward to working with you. I will continue on the conversation you are having with senator ricketts. I think our global network of alliances and partnerships and our values are critical to our strength, stability, prosperity, security.
▶ 1:04:12Chair Risch: We have got a global network of allies, china does not. They have nervous neighbors, client states, use coercion, but they don't have genuine allies. They have made a concerted effort to use the u.n. System to advance their interests, both their different idea and standards for human rights. We believe in an individual right to liberty. They talk about collective rights. We have different standards. We want 6g to be built on U.S. and western friendly standards.
▶ 1:04:43Chair Risch: They want their standards. I could not agree with you more that fighting for leadership of technical organizations. In the previous trumpet Mr. risch and I worked closely with his be his bbto representative. I think it is critical. We have a strategy. I worked closely with ambassador linda thomas-greenfield on this.
▶ 1:05:10Chair Risch: As the chair the appropriating subcommittee, we increased funding for junior professional officers, increased funding for the U.S.-u.n. Mission. You continue this work to make sure americans and american friendly leaders compete for and succeed at leading the technical organizations of the u.n. And compete for and succeed at staffing the junior levels of the u.n.?
▶ 1:05:38Rep. Stefanik: Thank you, senator coons. This is one of my top priorities. It came up in every conversation. The success story of successfully having a candidate defeat china's candidate in the intellectual property organization is a model would need to continue to use in these other technical organizations. There is bipartisan support.
▶ 1:06:03Rep. Stefanik: As tom cotton mentioned, I was one of the founding there was the china task force which led to the setting up of the bipartisan china select committee. There is bipartisan interest. I support your approach of strengthening and building on our strong alliances, whether it is aucus, within the quad, we have an opportunity to build on those organizations.
▶ 1:06:31Sen. Coons: Chairman risch referenced the dysfunction of the security council. Russia and china have used it to block accountability measures. The general assent we did pass an overwhelming resolution condemning russia's invasion of ukraine. We could not get it through the security council.
▶ 1:06:52Sen. Coons: The security council did in september unanimously passed, because of american leadership, a resolution continuing sanctions, visa vans, an arms embargo for sudan. One thing the biden ministry and advanced was u.n. Security council reform to broaden membership to include the global south and try to move the security council more into a functional body. What are your views to continue that agenda?
▶ 1:07:21Rep. Stefanik: When it comes to the security council form it is very complex and challenging with both russia and china and the veto on the 05. -- p5. I went to work with the committee and president on any proposals for the u.n. Security council reform. When I was referencing reforms I was mostly talking about insuring all of our taxpayer dollars are going to entities that function very well.
▶ 1:07:51Rep. Stefanik: I'm open to having conversations about how to make it work better. We need to have a broader strategy reaching out to countries within the global south where china has made significant inroads. They have built ports, telecom. It's a whole of government approach. It is not the u.n. Alone. It is working with secretary rubio, usaid, ustr and significant economic investments.
▶ 1:08:16Sen. Coons: President trump signed the build act into law. Is a critical tool in the toolkit. I want to raise my profound concern about an executive order signed yesterday by president trump that puts a 90 day pause on all development assistance without clarifying the scope of that.
▶ 1:08:39Sen. Coons: Does that include our contributions to unicef and the world food program, which I think you would recognize, led by americans, broad bipartisan support. Part of the key mission of the u.n. To promote stability and security by feeding hungry people and bringing stability. Does that include usaid support to ukraine's energy grid?
▶ 1:09:00Sen. Coons: As putin hammers and civilians for the energy grid, aid support for getting energy back on light in the midst of winter in ukraine is critical. Does that include jordan? A sea of stability in an area of chaos. Will development assistance be frozen for 90 days to ukraine, to our development partnership in the philippines in the luzon corridor to coete with china's influence in the region, to jordan? I hope we can get some clarity.
▶ 1:09:32Sen. Coons: I hope there are obvious partnerships that do advanced american national interests and they will move forward quickly.
▶ 1:09:38Chair Risch: Thank you. Senator mccormick.
▶ 1:09:43Sen. Mccormick: Congresswoman, good to see you again. We have known you for within 20 years so I'm thrilled the president nominated you for this important role. Forgive my voice. I have been celebrating making america great again a little too much.
▶ 1:10:01Sen. Mccormick: As we discussed in my office, I'm troubled by the verlin antisemitism and anti-israel bias at the united nations -- vera veirulent. The jewish committee has seen an explosion in hate. This is not theoretical for me. We live in squirrel hill we had the tree of life tragedy. A painful reminder over the hate can lead.
▶ 1:10:32Sen. Mccormick: In congress, you have pushed back against antisemitism in our nation's institutions. You exposed the presidents of the three leading universities for their lack of moral clarity. I was one of the first to call for the firing of the president of upenn because of the tough questioning you forced her and other presidents to leave office. I'm confident you can bring that same fire and effect in this to the u.n.
▶ 1:11:02Sen. Mccormick: Let me start by asking how you will fight back against anti-semitism and bias against israel within the u.n. Hamas terrorism have been acting with impunity from unrwa facilities and employees participating in the massacre on october 7. Beyond funding how will you work with allies to end unrwa's mandate and shift functions to other u.n. Organs or trusted ngos?
▶ 1:11:30Rep. Stefanik: Thank you so much for your leadership combating anti-semitism. It's important to the american people into pennsylvanians and something I am deeply committed to doing in this role. It is a reason why in my conversation with president trump I was interested in this position. If you look at the antisemitic rot in the united nations, there are more resolutions targeting israel than any other country or any other crisis combined.
▶ 1:11:59Rep. Stefanik: We have significant national security council antisemitism. Failing to condemn hamas' terrorist attack and terrorist regime against innocent civilian women. Using rape and targeting women specifically, taking them hostage. I'm overjoyed those three young women were returned home. We need to stay committed to ensuring every hostage is brought home. I have met with many families.
▶ 1:12:26Rep. Stefanik: This position, we need to be a voice of moral clarity. On the u.n. Security council and the united nations at large for the world to hear the importance of standing with israel. I intend to do that. This will mark the 50th year since it is graceful zionism is racism resolution at the united nations -- disgraceful zionism is racism resolution. Patrick moynihan spoke out against that resolution.
▶ 1:12:59Rep. Stefanik: Just the kind of leadership I hope to bring. President trump has a terminus record when it comes to standing with israel. Whether it is the abraham accords, his commitment to combating anti-semitism, or recognizing jerusalem as the internal capital of israel, this is a strong, strong record. I hope to do that at the u.n. If confirmed.
▶ 1:13:19Sen. Mccormick: Thank you. As noted, the chinese communist party has a delivery strategy to use the u.n. Human rights council to propagate its false narrative on human rights to legitimize his authoritarian agenda. -- its authoritarian agenda. How you push back co-opting international institutions like the u.n. To undermine U.S. interests?
▶ 1:13:44Rep. Stefanik: There is quite a theme with many senators raising this deep concern about ccp's inroads in international organizations. Take us back to working with our partners and allies. Making sure we are strengthening those relationships. That we are ensuring we have a strategy to ensure the ccp is not able to make inroads at the most senior levels of these technical organizations. Of agencies across the u.n. Writ large.
▶ 1:14:15Rep. Stefanik: This was another top priority I expressed in every meeting with all the senators from both sides of the aisle.
▶ 1:14:19Sen. Mccormick: I will try to squeeze in one last question. I was so glad that president trump withdrew from the u.n. Climate accords last night. How you advocate for energy dominance and in all of the above approach to energy security at the? C1
▶ 1:14:41Rep. Stefanik: I want to make sure we are representing american values and american interests. That means supporting strong american energy dominance and not giving a free pass to the biggest polluters like china in the world when we have the cleanest water, the cleanest air, and the best record when it comes to an all of the above energy approach, moving back to the successful policies of president trump, would not only was america was energy
▶ 1:15:12Rep. Stefanik: Independent, but entergy dominant.
▶ 1:15:12Chairman Risch: Senator kaine.
▶ 1:15:17Senator Kaine: Thank you, Mr. chair. Congratulations on the nomination. I appreciate the meeting we had in my offices. You and I have some political differences, but we talked about items in which we agree. You had some others when you said you had some the president trump did not agree with and I like that candor. I'm grappling with that and some of the partisan comments you made in the past.
▶ 1:15:47Senator Kaine: A national public radio article, how the replacement theory went mainstream. She tweeted democrats desperately want wide-open borders and mass amnesty for illegals. I would like to put that in the record.
▶ 1:16:03Chairman Risch: Without objection, that will be included.
▶ 1:16:06Sen. Kaine: That us a campaign tweet and I can separate campaign rhetoric from governing rhetoric. I don't view that is disqualifying, but at least we had a good meeting. We talked about important issues and shared ideas. I'm going to say something here I wish I could have said in an armed services committee hearing. All of the trump nominees who have come before the committees on which I sit have agreed to meet with me save one, the secretary of defense nominee pete hegseth.
▶ 1:16:39Sen. Kaine: He has written he thinks democrats are people and he refused -- people and he refused to meet with anybody save the chairman. Yesterday, we were closed -- asked to forward his nomination even though it had not been pending for a sufficient time. Why would we give a waiver to someone who wouldn't agree to meet with us? That that nominee would disrespect democrats, that is fine.
▶ 1:17:06Sen. Kaine: But I didn't think my committee colleagues on the armed services committee would have disrespected. I will say to all of my republican colleagues here, if there is every nominee by any president who refuses to come meet with you when you were on the committee of jurisdiction overseeing that nominee, I will publicly raise hell on your behalf. Nominees should meet with the committees, just as representatives to phonic did.
▶ 1:17:30Sen. Kaine: While I have a question about some of the campaign rhetoric, I will not ask you about it because that is in the past, I do appreciate the fact that you were courteous, informed, civil, and candid in the meeting with me. I told you I had two concerns, engagement and the western hemisphere. You have convinced me you were nominated for this position, not to disengage, but to engage and I appreciate that. You wanted this position and you would not have wanted it otherwise.
▶ 1:18:00Sen. Kaine: On the western hemisphere, you will be working with the secretary of state we approved unanimously, senator rubio. Senator rubio talked at some length about a number of topics and I want to ask you about one particularly challenging and that is haiti. The situation in haiti is a disaster.
▶ 1:18:19Sen. Kaine: You have been on these committees overseeing american national security and you know issues like haiti create immigration challenges and all kinds of other challenges on the humanitarian front and cause problems for allies like the dominican republic and problems for us. We have a security and operation in haiti with the financial support and assistance of the united states.
▶ 1:18:44Sen. Kaine: Senator rubio talked at some length last week about how important it was we stay engaged on that. I would like to know what your thought would be, should you be confirmed at the u.n. For what the U.S. can try to do to help patients find a next chapter that is a peaceful one.
▶ 1:19:02Rep. Stefanik: Yes, thank you senator. I appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you. We serve on the national endowment for democracy together and there have been bipartisan results funded by congress. I wanted to point out I stand strongly for border security and that was what the tweet you referenced was related to and I would point out that in the sector that I represent, there was a border patrol officer killed in the last 24 hours.
▶ 1:19:32Sen. Kaine: Are there any democratic senators you think of for open borders and mass amnesty for illegal and undocumented?
▶ 1:19:40Rep. Stefanik: I would point out the democratic think tanks --
▶ 1:19:43Sen. Kaine: I'm asking about democratic senators you would level that charge against.
▶ 1:19:47Rep. Stefanik: I think there are democratic senators who support open borders. I was clarifying when you pointed out a headline from an article.
▶ 1:19:55Sen. Kaine: Not a headline, a quote of yours.
▶ 1:19:58Rep. Stefanik: Which was related to border security and we had an overwhelming popular vote for president trump were border security was top of the mind. I think it is important to note I do stand by my rhetoric standing up for strong borders and the american people overwhelmingly support that.
▶ 1:20:15Sen. Kaine: My time is over, so let me conclude and say this, when I have been on this committee and in the senate, I was part of a bipartisan deal to put $46 billion aboard a security on the table that the house republican majority killed and another build up a 25 billion dollars on the table that president trump killed. And I was just part of a bipartisan deal in the last year that was significant about bipartisan border security that president trump killed.
▶ 1:20:47Sen. Kaine: The notion that democratic senators are for open borders and allowing illegal aliens to vote is a fantasy. I really appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, but now I have questions and I have to ponder that and I yelled back.
▶ 1:21:01Rep. Stefanik: I want to address that if you would give me the latitude to do so. We are very proud that on the house side we passed hr2, the most significant border security that chuck schumer failed to bring up in the senate. That would return to the effective policies of president trump. Again, the american people voted loudly and clearly when it came to securing our borders and the failures of the past four years.
▶ 1:21:27Rep. Stefanik: I'm not going to apologize for my commitment to securing the border when I represent a significant part, the swanton sector where we have had a skyrocket of illegal aliens crossing. We need to have a strategy.
▶ 1:21:55Rep. Stefanik: That is an area where we need to have continued discussions with the committees of oversight. I'm concerned about intelligence committee briefings. I look to work with senator rubio to support his commitment to the western hemisphere. >> thank, Mr. chairman. I just want to congratulate you for being here.
▶ 1:22:22Rep. Stefanik: I'm very pleased to see your nomination to the next ambassador of the united states to the united nations. Before I get into specific questions, I would like to ask you a broad one, in terms of what your vision is for your the united states mission to the united nations and where you would like to see it four years later.
▶ 1:22:45Rep. Stefanik: Thank you so much, senator hagerty. Your expertise with having served as an ambassador in the first trump administration. My vision is making sure we are supporting the peace through strength america first agenda. And that we return to the founding mission of the united nations, which is international peace and security very much aligned with the commitment to peace and no new wars.
▶ 1:23:18Rep. Stefanik: This committee hearing after hearing, I want to roll up our sleeves and get it done. Actually having the answers of where each taxpayer dollar goes in the you and. Standing with israel is critically important, particularly as there are hostages still being kept today by hamas. Pushing back on the ccp.
▶ 1:23:49Rep. Stefanik: Working with secretary rubio to make sure, this is not about reforming, it is about improving in the long term the results.
▶ 1:24:03Sen. Hagerty: I appreciate that and look forward to working with you to make that happen. One of those areas will be modernizing and reforming the state department. I look forward to working with senator coons ahead. . Let's get to a couple specifics. Senator mccormick touched on this. Drill a little bit deeper into unra. This is a particularly problematic organization.
▶ 1:24:33Sen. Hagerty: I have been calling for the united states to cease funding it and send a strong message. It has been well documented that they teach them to glorify the killing of jews. Unra employees actively participated in the massacre on october 7.
▶ 1:24:57Sen. Hagerty: In january 2021, the trump administration announced less than 5% of people registered as refugees with unra met the international standards for refugees. President trump rightfully stopped U.S. taxpayer funds to unra. President decided -- president biden decided to reinstate funding without significant reform.
▶ 1:25:25Sen. Hagerty: Congress was correct I believe in defunding unra last year and I believe the prohibition should be permanent. How do you think you should deal with unra? How do you think we should address U.S. taxpayer funding having gone to an organization like that that has been directly complicit in terrorism and the october 7 attack?
▶ 1:25:43Rep. Stefanik: We should never tolerate any U.S. taxpayer funds going toward terrorism. I was one of the members that voted to defund unra. I was one of the leaders in standing for that vote. I think we can look to organizations in the u.n.
▶ 1:26:08Rep. Stefanik: System such as the world food program, working with usaid, which are proven organizations. They still need reform efforts and organization, but don't have the terrorist ties that unra had that were exposed during the hamas attack against israel on october 7.
▶ 1:26:30Rep. Stefanik: Rather it was hamas' leader sinwar carrying an unra teacher's passport or whether there was the unra office above a hamas data center or those who participated in the terrorist attack on october 7. That I fully support the president's commitment to defunding and I'm proud to have voted for that in the congress.
▶ 1:26:50Sen. Hagerty: I have several more questions, but I want to touch on one quickly. It has to do with accountability at the world health organization. Taking into consideration the concerns around the covid pandemic, what happened, the who role, president trump rightly withdrew us, but president biden put us back into being one of the largest funders to that organization.
▶ 1:27:18Sen. Hagerty: What are your thoughts on the accountability we have received so far and where would you like to take that?
▶ 1:27:22Rep. Stefanik: I support president trump's decision to walk away from who. Who failed on a global stage in the covid pandemic for all the world to see. Instead, it spewed ccp talking points that ielieve led to not only false information, but dangerous and deadly information across the globe.
▶ 1:27:46Rep. Stefanik: We cannot tolerate entities taken over by ccp propaganda, so I strongly support president trump knows when to engage and knows when to walk away. He was right in his decision to walk away from who.
▶ 1:27:58Sen. Hagerty: I was pleased to see that action.
▶ 1:28:00Chairman Risch: Senator booker, you are up.
▶ 1:28:05Senator Booker: It was good to see you and I appreciate the time you gave me in the very hurried inaugural weekend. It was amazing we were able to fit that in. I want to echo some of my senator colleagues who said you are very informed and seem to be committed to that. I want to talk about that.
▶ 1:28:30Senator Booker: I'm grateful for senator kaine bringing up haiti and the importance for us to come up with bipartisan foreign policy agenda or strategy to deal with that crisis. I want to bring attention to the conflict in sudan which has created the largest and fastest growing humanitarian crisis in the world. We see right now tens of millions of people in need of assistance.
▶ 1:28:53Senator Booker: The humanitarian crisis from hunger and malnutrition all the way to political destabilization in neighboring nations like egypt which are seeing this extraordinary overflow as a result of the immigration and displaced people landing in that country.
▶ 1:29:11Senator Booker: I'm concerned about recent reporting from the new york times stating the sa cafes used chemical weapons on at least two occasions and I'm really believing that we are lacking a kind of pressure on a lot of our allies and other nations involved in this conflict.
▶ 1:29:30Senator Booker: So, this is a real-time and of talked about secretary of state rubio about aligning diplomatic strategy in trying to bring about an end to this conflict, which will not be solved through the use of military conflict and diplomatic solution. The need to protect civilians is paramount. Should you be confirmed, this is an area where you can lead.
▶ 1:30:02Senator Booker: In my opinion, one of the things that has been lacking from prioritization. Will you commit to prioritizing sudan and to this horrific humanitarian crisis and politically destabilizing reality we see now?
▶ 1:30:15Rep. Stefanik: Absolutely and I think that is one of the great responsibilities of this role is prioritization of what we speak out against on the world stage at the united nations and I'm grateful for this committee's bipartisan work on the sudan accountability act, the special envoy position is very important. Raising the awareness within the public of how significant this humanitarian crisis is.
▶ 1:30:39Sen. Booker: And the challenge we have is there are implicated nations in supplying arms to this conflict. I'm wondering if you of about how you can use your position to try to bring about an end to the cooperative parties fueling the conflict.
▶ 1:30:55Rep. Stefanik: Absolutely, we will have to have strong conversations led by the president and secretary rubio with the uae, the egyptians, the saudi's, and that will be critical. I certainly will be supporting them at the U.S.-u.n. Mission to do so.
▶ 1:31:15Rep. Stefanik: Just the ideas --
▶ 1:31:20Senator Booker: Just the ideas of refugee assistance. There really are the lead in providing that. It's concerning to me and I heard senator point this outcome of the idea of pausing some of this aid at this time could have cataclysmic impact, not just on the humanitarian crisis, but also on the stability of some of our allies in that region. Specifically from the chat-sudan border to egypt as well.
▶ 1:31:51Senator Booker: Some of the lifesaving work done by unhcr, world food program, and more. I'm wondering if you could share the committee some of your thoughts about how to navigate the urgent importance of these agencies and their ongoing work?
▶ 1:32:05Rep. Stefanik: I think world food program is a very successful program, it is results focused, it's significant voluntary funding piece is a testament to that and it is beneficial to america from a national security perspective, but also from an agricultural perspective, from an agribusiness manufacturing perspective as well.
▶ 1:32:28Rep. Stefanik: I think we need to look at all of our programs, do an assessment of do they answer the questions of doesn't make america stronger, safer, more prosperous? And america first peace through strength. I'm very committed to ensuring that all the U.S.-u.n. Programs that we do that assessment and where america leads I think we will come out on top in terms of the efficacy.
▶ 1:32:49Sen. Booker: I will say in conclusion, the challenge we often have is we are reacting to crises where investments were made early on in the stability of nations we could have done much better and in many ways with the global power contest between us and the chinese, we allow them to get advantages from our lack of even engagement or focus.
▶ 1:33:11Sen. Booker: The continent of africa is the future in terms of humanity, one out of every four people on planet earth will be from the continent of africa by 2050. It seems that the russians and chinese understand that.
▶ 1:33:29Sen. Booker: So having a person focused on the continent and those engaged in making sure we are engaged in the united states protects our interests and makes us safe and prosperous and as we look to the future, we have to help avert not only the crises, but also begin to destabilize the region's and because fertile ground for terrorism and government overloads.
▶ 1:34:04Sen. Booker: Many of the extraordinary nations who want to ally with us and not the chinese. Thank you.
▶ 1:34:07Chairman Risch: Thank you. Senator curtis.
▶ 1:34:13Senator Curtis: Great to be here. Representative, I enjoy calling you that at least for now. I feel like I have a little bit of an advantage over so many after having served with you in the house and I've heard nothing but good comments about your service and favorable impressions of your work there. I also enjoyed serving with you on the first china task force and I appreciate your work in protecting taiwan and protecting israel.
▶ 1:34:41Senator Curtis: To talk just a little bit about taiwan first and china first, you have resolution 2758 that shifted recognition of china at the u.n. From republic of china to the people's republic of china, but didn't really address taiwan. And their status and their sovereignty. China has since been working to reinterpret the resolution to reassert sovereignty over taiwan and particularly in international organizations.
▶ 1:35:12Senator Curtis: One example that jumps out is the national civil aviation organization that implied taiwan is part of china in a press release and this was most noticeably evident during a vital w.h.o. Interview at the height of covid-19. The official avoided the question about taiwan stating we have already talked about china and all parts of china, implying taiwan was part of china.
▶ 1:35:42Senator Curtis: I think the american taxpayers would agree that should not be subsidizing the salaries of people who undermine america's allies. Can we talk specifically about how we counter china's influence in the u.n.? Ensuring taiwan gets fair treatment as it comes to china and there are a lot of organizations taiwan can belong to and I would love to hear your thoughts on that.
▶ 1:36:08Rep. Stefanik: Thank you so much. It is great to see you on this side of the capitol. It was a pleasure to serve with you in the house. You and I worked extensively on this issue. As I mentioned in some of the previous questions, I'm committed to making sure taiwan has the most maximum, meaningful participation in the u.n. System as a shed in all international organizations.
▶ 1:36:35Rep. Stefanik: We have to be vigilant in the long-term and the short-term to make sure china is not able to make significant inroads with the sisi in international organizations. I have a record of this issue legislatively. I have voted in support of defensive aid to taiwan, I believe in deterrence to avoid war in the indo pacific. You can look at whether it was the last major vote we took on that defensive aid package, I voted in support of it.
▶ 1:37:05Sen. Curtis: Thank you and I would love to help you in those efforts. I sponsored a bill over in the house that would require the state department to rank the agencies and the u.n. By order of importance. You can see in one hand we have the security council with a veto vote and then unra and the state department insists these are all equal and all important in the U.S. interest.
▶ 1:37:34Sen. Curtis: I understand the president plans to defund some of these. Can you give me a sense of how you begin with your team and limited resources figure out which of these agencies are actually important and in the best interest of the united states in which we need to address?
▶ 1:37:51Rep. Stefanik: Thank you, we want to do a full assessment of all the u.n. Sub agencies and making every dollar goes to support our american interests. I believe that is my responsibility to stand up and support the american people and president trump's america first peace through strength. In terms of our assessment as the confirmation process, the un security council is in a different position than unra, which I think should be at the bottom of the life.
▶ 1:38:22Rep. Stefanik: We have discussed that extensively today. I'm interested in that bill and seeing of that bill. We want to do that assessment working with senator rubio to make sure the programs we are funding represent our values.
▶ 1:38:39Sen. Curtis: Sometimes back home you hear the calls to defund the united nations and it is more nuanced than that. To the extent we can better clarify which of these agencies are helpful and which are not I think would be terrific.
▶ 1:38:52Rep. Stefanik: And I think connecting it to the american people directly. Take the world food program and connect that to our american farmers. I have an agricultural district. The american people are very interested where their taxpayer dollars are going, as they should be.
▶ 1:39:11Chairman Risch: Thank you, senator curtis. Senator murphy.
▶ 1:39:16Senator Murphy: Thank you very much for your commitment to the country, your willingness to serve. I deeply appreciate the work you have done to combat anti-semitism. I appreciate your commitment to bring that work to the united nations. I think it is a cancer domestically and internationally.
▶ 1:39:36Senator Murphy: You and I worked together over the last year and a half to dramatically increase funding for the not per -- not-for-profit security program that sends money to synagogues and jewish centers and I'm heartbroken we need to do that, but it is an important moment to support those communities. I agree it is a problem you will confront at the u.n. And it is a problem domestically, both on the right and the left.
▶ 1:40:07Senator Murphy: I think antisemitism work is best when we call out what is happening on both sides of the aisle. What do you think of elon musk, perhaps the president's most visible advisor, doing two heil kittler salutes? -- hitler salutes?
▶ 1:40:32Rep. Stefanik: No, he did not do those salutes, he loves to cheer when president trump says we need to send our U.S. space program to mars. Elon musk is a visionary. I'm looking forward to his work in the department of government efficiency and I look forward to seeing how we can be more efficient and effective. That is simply not the case. To say so, the american people are smart, they see through it and support elon musk.
▶ 1:41:02Rep. Stefanik: We are proud to be the country of such successful entrepreneurs. That is one of our greatest strengths as americans.
▶ 1:41:06Sen. Murphy: Let me share with you what if you americans have set about it. Evan kilgore said holy crap did elon musk heil hitler? We are so back. Andrew tour bus at incredible things are happening as he amplified the visual.
▶ 1:41:32Sen. Murphy: The proud boys chapter in ohio posted the clip on a telegram channel with the text heil trump. A chapter of white lives matter posted it on telegram, thanks for hearing us, elon, the white flame will rise again. I could keep going. Over and over last night, white supremacist groups and neo-nazi groups in this country rallied around that visual.
▶ 1:41:59Sen. Murphy: Does it concern you that those elements of the neo-nazi and white supremacist element in the united states believe that what they saw last night was a neo-nazi salute?
▶ 1:42:13Rep. Stefanik: What concerns me is these other questions you believe are most important to ask to the u.n. Ambassador. I have a very strong record when it comes to combating anti-semitism. We had a strong election where president trump earned support from the americans.
▶ 1:42:40Rep. Stefanik: I intend to bring moral clarity to this position and continue to speak out as a voice, as a beacon of light, condemning anti-semitism at the united nations, which is representative of president trump's record and president trump's promises that he made on the campaign trail.
▶ 1:42:58Sen. Murphy: You are right, these are the questions I choose to ask because I think your work and the administration's work on anti-semitism only comes with real impact and credibility if it holds both right and left accountable.
▶ 1:43:11Sen. Murphy: I simply don't believe that if a member of the squad made that same gesture last night that there wouldn't be commentary from you and others, so I want to make sure that our work has credibility and credibility comes with calling anti-semitism and antisemitism behavior out when it comes from the right and the left. Let me just turn to one issue that has come up several times and ask you for quick response.
▶ 1:43:41Sen. Murphy: The decision to leave the who I think is a mistake, but I think you would agree that we are going to need to still find a way to play a role internationally in global public health standards. We do not want to let the chinese essentially set those rules for us because ultimately pandemics will find a way to us.
▶ 1:44:02Sen. Murphy: Can you commit to this committee notwithstanding the decision to leave the who that you are going to make sure we find a way to have impact on the global stage when it comes to global public health?
▶ 1:44:13Rep. Stefanik: I support president trump's decision to leave who, but yes I think we need to be the leader in terms of global health. There are programs within the u.n. That are very committed to global health. We are the leader when it comes to global health. We need to continue to be so.
▶ 1:44:28Sen. Murphy: Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:44:31Chairman Risch: Thank you very much. Next up, senator cornyn. I'm sorry, senator scott. Thank you.
▶ 1:44:43Senator Scott: Thank you, chairman. Congratulations on your appointment. President trump made a great choice in nominating you, you are the perfect person to carry out his america first policies and of the world stage and defend our best interest. The united states helps fund the united nations and the goal was always a forum for world governments to establish and keep peace of possible. This is clearly not what the U.S. today.
▶ 1:45:14Senator Scott: It has been a complete failure in many of our eyes. What are your thoughts?
▶ 1:45:17Rep. Stefanik: I think the u.n. Has not lived up to its international -- founding mission, international peace and security. President trump said there was great potential if it returns to that founding mission. If you look at the anti-semitism and the amount of resolutions targeting israel, that is not meeting the mission of international peace and security. I also think being good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars, looking at the organizations within the u.n.
▶ 1:45:45Rep. Stefanik: System that work and function and our results based, transparent, and accountable and that they support our national security strategy versus there are parts of the u.n. That I think are very need of reform.
▶ 1:45:58Sen. Scott: The u.n. Has a long history of disproportionately targeting israel with resolutions, inquiries, and sanctions, specifically agenda item seven that discusses potential israeli human rights violations at every session. This only applies to israel. Given that U.S.
▶ 1:46:27Sen. Scott: Funding indirectly supports investigations and resolutions that single out israel, what is your plan to increase transparency and accountability in the allocation of resources?
▶ 1:46:38Rep. Stefanik: I think this is a key question I want to work with this committee. The chairman has spoken extensively about the importance to know where every dollar goes within the u.n. System and that is my commitment to do so, to deliver that transparency and accountability as part of this process assessing all of our u.n. Programs to see if they are effective and if they are supportive of american values and if they are not, we need to have serious conversations with our appropriators.
▶ 1:47:06Sen. Scott: Thank you. Many u.n. Member states are quick to criticize israel while avoiding scrutiny for their own bad behavior. How do you plan to hold them accountable?
▶ 1:47:16Rep. Stefanik: I think holding them accountable with your voice. When you speak out with moral clarity, the world and the american people listen. We need to make sure we have that moral clarity with our U.S. ambassador to the united nations every single day.
▶ 1:47:41Sen. Scott: Certain u.n. Agencies are clearly anti-west, anti-U.S., what actions are available to you to make clear that the united states will no longer accept being treated the way by this international organization we largely fund?
▶ 1:48:00Rep. Stefanik: I think president trump is the strongest commander-in-chief in terms of when he knows to negotiate and knows when to walk away, whether it is the who or other organizations.
▶ 1:48:25Senator Scott: I look forward to your tenure. At the end, what would you consider to be your success?
▶ 1:48:42Rep. Stefanik: I would hope to support president trump's america first peace through strength, I would hope to accomplish significant reforms to demand results and efficacy of every dollar that goes to the u.n.. For decades, this committee has talked about the importance of reform. We need to get that done. I think it fits squarely with this department of government deficiency in one of the mate -- efficiency and what the president campaigned upon. I want to make sure every U.S.
▶ 1:49:09Rep. Stefanik: Taxpayer dollar goes to support making america stronger, safer, and more prosperous, working directly with the secretary of state to do so. President trump campaigned on peace and no new wars. He is the president of peace and no new wars. I hope to support it in the role.
▶ 1:49:31Sen. Scott: You were going to do a great job. Thank you.
▶ 1:49:35Chairman Risch: Senator rosen.
▶ 1:49:37Senator Rosen: Thank you, senator ricketts for filling in for chairman risch. Thank you congresswoman stefon stephani for your decades of service in this house. I enjoyed working with you when we were in the house science and technology committee. I do appreciate your comments today about how you will tackle anti-israel bias that the u.n., which I'm also extremely concerned about.
▶ 1:50:11Senator Rosen: It is precisely because of that bias I believe we must lean into leadership at the u.n., not diminish our role. If we are not at the table, our seat will be taken by someone who does not share our values and defend our allies. I'm going to move on to some other questions that haven't been asked.
▶ 1:50:30Senator Rosen: I'm going to move on to lebanon, because there is a lot going on and the un security council resolution states there should be no armed presence in southern lebanon other than the lebanese armed forces. Unifil is charged with monitoring this resolution.
▶ 1:50:52Senator Rosen: Hezbollah has stockpiled weapons, constructed tunnels, often out matching unifil peacekeepers who are not mandated. Even in the wake of israel successful degrading of hezbollah forces and the laf moving into southern lebanon, it is clear something has to change. They must support the efforts is more of these achievements are to be sustained.
▶ 1:51:21Senator Rosen: How can they ensure the security council resolution is fully enforced and how will you work to unifil ensure that unifil --how we work to ensure that unifil can play a significant support role?
▶ 1:51:34Rep. Stefanik: It is a very important question I'm glad you raised. Unifil has not met its mission, it has failed as we have seen the digging of the tunnels. We have had tens of thousands of israeli families who have had to leave their homes in northern israel because of the rockets. We need to ensure that unifil is a peacekeeping mission we need to do an assessment of.
▶ 1:52:06Rep. Stefanik: We need to have a strategy moving forward. I think this is an opportunity with the effective operations of israel against hezbollah and hamas leadership to continue to build on that success and not have a regime of terror grow in those regions.
▶ 1:52:23Sen. Rosen: Thank you, I look forward to working with you on that. I want to focus on syria for a moment. The un security council can a critical role in supporting serious political transition following the fall of assad's regime.
▶ 1:52:47Sen. Rosen: There was a roadmap for an inclusive, nonsectarian syrian government, but this resolution was passed nearly a decade ago and a lot has changed in the last 10 years. What do you think the role of security council resolution 2254 should play in syria's future and if it is outdated, I know you will take a look and review it, do you have an opinion about what might need to change or how we respond to recent developments?
▶ 1:53:13Rep. Stefanik: I think it is a starting point we need to look at. This is obviously a significant change in the middle east with the assad regime, which I condemn consistently, the brutality, the chemical weapons used against the syrian people. We need to be cautious and judicious with the new leadership. We cannot allow it to be a den of terror against its own people.
▶ 1:53:46Rep. Stefanik: As we discussed this on the national security council and as president trump continues to look at our approach toward syria.
▶ 1:53:53Sen. Rosen: I want to finish my last few seconds talking about unesco and artificial intelligence. So the field of artificial intelligence rapidly evolving, critical we have a seat at the table to develop shared ai standards, guardrails for best practices. Unesco has become an important forum for ethical development and use of ai and produce the first-ever global standards in november 2021.
▶ 1:54:20Sen. Rosen: We know china has made a concerted effort to increase its engagement with standard-setting bodies including unesco, do you agree that chinese influences of international ai standards pose a national security risk and how would you go about working on artificial intelligence standards? Rep. stefanik: I'm deeply concerned about china's standards within the ai framework. I think we need to win the ai race, this is an issue I worked extensively on on the house armed services committee.
▶ 1:54:50Sen. Rosen: I helped stand up the joint ai within dod. We need to work with the private sector as well to unleash our ai capabilities to be the world leaders and work with partners. I think this is a real opportunity to work with partners and allies around the world to make sure our standards based upon the ethical use of ai, that that is the approach. When it comes to unesco, this will be a decision at the presidential level, but I understand the importance of U.S. leadership when it comes to ai and global standard-setting.
▶ 1:55:17Sen. Rosen: Thank you.
▶ 1:55:21Senator Ricketts: We will go to you now. Senator cornyn, the united nations has a long and shameful history in its treatment of israel. You alluded quite appropriately to the daniel patrick moynihan statement about the 1970 five resolution calling zionism a form of racism.
▶ 1:55:49Senator Ricketts: I think history has remembered that as a moynihan moment and I look forward to many stefanik all moments -- moments. I have a couple of questions, one about iranian nuclear aspirations and the other about russia relet me start with russia. We know that Mr.
▶ 1:56:10Senator Ricketts: Putin does not honor any obligations of the russian federation dating back to 1994 with the budapest memorandum, when he said they would protect ukrainian sovereignty in exchange for relinquishing their nuclear weapons.
▶ 1:56:32Senator Ricketts: More recently, he has not only engaged in an unprovoked and barbaric attack against ukraine in violation of that very agreement, but also engaged in aid to fact on annexation of belarus. What do you think our policy should be in dealing with Mr. putin?
▶ 1:56:52Senator Ricketts: My view is he is not going to stop as long as he feels he has an opportunity to reestablish the russian empire, something he has said he aspires to do. What do you think of our national policy with regard to Mr. putin should be and his territorial aspirations?
▶ 1:57:11Rep. Stefanik: Sure, I can point to my record. I have been very strong and supportive of our deterrence effort through the national defense authorization act we passed on a bipartisan basis. I would point to president trump's success in his first term. He is the only modern president were putin did not invade another country and that is because of the strong leadership president trump brings every day. We did not see that with our previous president in president joe biden.
▶ 1:57:40Rep. Stefanik: I think the catastrophic withdrawal led to this cascading of weakness around the globe. And one of the after effects was russia's decision to invade ukraine. I think the president needs to have maximum flexibility to bring this resolution to an end, a peaceful resolution stopping the killing, stopping the bloodshed. He campaigned on this issue and secretary rubio testified on this as well.
▶ 1:58:09Rep. Stefanik: I want to support his commitment to do so through his special envoy and his decision as president.
▶ 1:58:14Sen. Cornyn: It seems like the biden administration has tried to use diplomacy without the credible threat of the use of force. Do you think the works without deterrence?
▶ 1:58:29Rep. Stefanik: I think you need to have deterrence, I think deterrence is key. You are talking a member who has served on the armed services committee and the intelligence committee. I think it is our strongest way to ensure peace. I have been proud to help rebuild the U.S. military in our first term of president trump. I'm a deep believer in deterrence.
▶ 1:58:54Rep. Stefanik: Diplomacy is very important as well and that is one of the reasons why I think it is important this position serve at the cabinet level and I'm honored the president nominated me to be in his cabin and this level.
▶ 1:59:05Sen. Cornyn: As you know because you have a record dealing with the un security council resolution 2231, adopted as part of that deal, the iranian nuclear deal in 2015 was snapback sanctions if iran violated the agreement, which it has clearly done time and again. President trump sought to initiate those snapback sanctions in august of 2020, but it was not successful at the time.
▶ 1:59:38Sen. Cornyn: In 2023, you signed a bipartisan letter to the british, french, and german leaders urging them to initiate the snapback mechanism. How important do you think it is that that snapback occur? What threat is there to the region and to world peace of iran acquiring a nuclear weapon?
▶ 1:59:58Rep. Stefanik: It is the most significant threat to world peace and specifically to the region. And I have a long record on this issue. I think it will be an important tool to consider in the president's toolkit as he pushes back on iran. If you look at the success in his first term.
▶ 2:00:20Rep. Stefanik: We had the iranian regime, he had the iranian regime at its weakest point and what we have seen with the hundreds of billions of dollars sent to iran with the last president is you have an emboldened hamas who committed the bloodiest day for the jewish people since the holocaust in october 7. You have an emboldened hezbollah which luckily israel has continued to eradicate the terrorists of both hamas and hezbollah. That is funded by iran. It has a cascading effect across the region.
▶ 2:00:50Rep. Stefanik: One of the greatest breakthroughs to push back on iran is the abraham accords and building upon that success. Also using our energy policy and president trump is a visionary in this space, understanding energy policy is national security around the world.
▶ 2:01:05Sen. Cornyn: Thank you.
▶ 2:01:06Sen. Ricketts: Senator van hollen.
▶ 2:01:12Senator Van Hollen: It was good to meet with you the other day. We discussed many of the important issues you will face at the united nations. I was pleased to hear you say that despite your voting record in the house, you support funding for the united nations and most of its agencies. We agreed that U.S. disengagement from the united nations would cede lots of territory to our adversaries.
▶ 2:01:42Senator Van Hollen: Sadly, president trump's decision to leave the world health organization will do just that. I believe it will make us less safe. Viruses don't respect national boundaries. Also, much false information has been spread about unra this morning. I urge all my colleagues to read the U.S.
▶ 2:02:04Senator Van Hollen: Intelligence assessment of unra, an organization that the world food program has described as indispensable. You will face questions regarding the ongoing conflicts in the middle east.
▶ 2:02:28Senator Van Hollen: I associate myself with the comments of senator rosen supporting resolution 1701, along with other un security council resolutions. Like you, I have met with hostage families, many of them, and I commend president trump and steven witkoff for the role they played in securing the agreement and entering into a cease-fire. It is essential they achieve the full implementation.
▶ 2:02:59Senator Van Hollen: I would like to discuss your views on the day after in gaza and beyond. President trump as an opportunity to bring some light at the end of a very dark tunnel. The latest chapter being a horrific hamas attack of october 7. The president has said he wants to bring long-term peace and security to the region. Clearly, hamas can have no role in that future.
▶ 2:03:27Senator Van Hollen: But long-term peace must include security, self-determination, and dignity for israelis and palestinians alike. When we talked in my office, you agreed we should stand up and protect universal human rights and human rights and self-determination for all people, including israelis and palestinians and I would like to hear you today say that that is your view.
▶ 2:03:49Rep. Stefanik: To put that view in a context of the day after question, I believe president trump is uniquely positioned to bring peace to the region, to eradicate terrorists of hamas and hezbollah, to ptect israel's national security. We have given billions of dollars and this is just the bilateral aid to the palestinians and it has been a few -- abused by hamas.
▶ 2:04:19Sen. Van Hollen: Just a very simple question, I'm just asking you that if in order to achieve long-term peace and stability in the middle east that we have to secure the human rights and rights of self-determination for both israelis and palestinians? It is a yes or no.
▶ 2:04:36Rep. Stefanik: I support human rights for all and I think it is a disgrace that hamas and hezbollah have stripped human rights of the palestinian people and we need to ensure that we are standing up for human rights and israel is standing up for human rights every at Sen. van
▶ 2:04:53Hollen: So we agree with that. I asked you in the office also about whether palestinians have the right of self-determination. My understanding was you said yes. Do you have a different answer today?
▶ 2:05:06Rep. Stefanik: That was not the direct question we discussed.
▶ 2:05:10Sen. Van Hollen: You believe the palestinians have the right to self-determination.
▶ 2:05:14Rep. Stefanik: I believe the palestinian people deserve so much better than the failures --
▶ 2:05:18Sen. Van Hollen: We agree on that, it's a pretty simple question.
▶ 2:05:22Rep. Stefanik: Piece in the region. Of course they did -- deserve human rights. I want to ensure we bring the hostages home number one.
▶ 2:05:30Sen. Van Hollen: So do all of us, representative stefanik. I have 30 seconds left. I'm really surprised by answers in my office, but I did ask you whether you subscribed to the views of finance minister --
▶ 2:05:45Rep. Stefanik: Who?
▶ 2:05:47Sen. Van Hollen: The israeli finance minister and the former national security minister who believe that israel has a biblical right to the entire west bank. In that conversation, you told me that yes, you share that view. Is that your view today?
▶ 2:06:04Rep. Stefanik: Yes.
▶ 2:06:05Sen. Van Hollen: I think when it comes to this very difficult issue, if the president is going to succeed at bringing peace and stability to the middle east, we are going to have to look at the un security council resolutions, not just the ones on lebanon which we should enforce, but other un security council resolutions.
▶ 2:06:26Sen. Van Hollen: It will be very difficult to achieve that if you continue to hold the view that you just expressed, which is a view that was not held by the founders of the state of israel, who were secular zionists, not religious zionists.
▶ 2:06:44Sen. Ricketts: Thank you, senator van hollen. From the great state of montana, senator daines.
▶ 2:06:53Senator Daines: Congratulations on your nomination. I am happy to see president trump play such importance on this position at the united nations.
▶ 2:07:16Senator Daines: It is hard to imagine that the united nations, which was born out of the tragedy of the holocaust, would become a significant voice and instrument of anti-semitism. That is exactly what has happened. Not only has the un's general assembly condemned israel's right to defend itself and demanded israel end unlawful presence in occupied palestinian territory.
▶ 2:07:48Senator Daines: It has also attempted to recognize palestine as the state and programs such as unra have actively assisted terrorists. I remember being in the hezbollah terror tunnels in late august of 2023, seeing what was planned, you could walk down with idf soldiers to see spray-painted in arabic, on our way to jerusalem.
▶ 2:08:16Senator Daines: Little did we know when we were touring those hezbollah terror tunnels in northern israel that weeks later, the worst terror attack in israel's history would occur october 7, 2023. If confirmed, you will have to be a stalwart advocate for U.S. interests and I could not be more pleased with president trump's moral clarity on these difficult issues as it relates to what is happening in these israel.
▶ 2:08:47Senator Daines: Secretary rubio, great to see him sworn in today. You as being our next ambassador. Ambassador huckabee nominated for israel, this will be a great team with moral clarity, you will be a stalwart advocate that advocates against american values.
▶ 2:09:18Senator Daines: Congresswoman stefanik, the u.n. Has had no greater demonstration of the ineffectiveness than its failure to prevent iran from advocating their nuclear weapons program. In your opinion, how could the united states as a member of the security council encourage the u.n. To take actions to curb the advancements of iran's nuclear program?
▶ 2:09:42Rep. Stefanik: I think this is related to the question by senator cornyn. Consideration of snapback sanctions, continuing to be a strong voice, pushing back against iran, supporting the president's maximum pressure campaign, which was so successful in the first term. That we will see a continuation of in this term.
▶ 2:10:02Rep. Stefanik: And I think that is the critical step to take to stop the axis of terror in the region as iran is the number one funder of hamas and hezbollah and who these, which is destabilizing the region. I also think building one of the abraham accords.
▶ 2:10:22Rep. Stefanik: I mentioned this earlier in the hearing, we have an abraham accords caucus here.starting in abraham accords caucus in the united nations with countries who understand the importance of bringing peace and normalization to the region.
▶ 2:10:35Sen. Daines: I remember that visit in late august, my last trip to israel since the attacks. Meeting with bibi netanyahu, the optimism coming out of the abraham accords, that there was great hope and optimism shattered not by the israelis, but by this horrible terror attack by hamas.
▶ 2:11:03Sen. Daines: A number of my colleagues have asked about your plans for changing the staffing dynamics and putting four more U.S. candidates for postings. Congresswoman, I'm very supportive, but how do you plan to push back against individuals like the secretary general stoltenberg who lowered flags to half staff for the butcher of cheron, their late president?
▶ 2:11:27Rep. Stefanik: We will push back with strong moral clarity, we will push back with america first peace through strength from president trump. We are going to push back strongly and clearly.
▶ 2:11:40Sen. Daines: I appreciate your moral clarity coming your strong leadership, your 10 years in the U.S. house. Pleased to serve with you on the hill. You will be a great abbasid or to the united nations. Thank you.
▶ 2:11:57Chairman Risch: Senator barrasso.
▶ 2:11:59Senator Barrasso: I believe you will be terrific. Israel has continually been subjected to biased resolutions and political motivated investigations at the united nations. The un's so-called human rights council has a standing agenda item and that standing agenda item is called item number seven and exclusively targets israel.
▶ 2:12:25Senator Barrasso: It makes it the only member of the u.n., the only member state singled in this matter. The council devotes excessive time in criticizing israel while often overlooking the atrocities in countries like iran, syria. 2020 four alone, the u.n. General assembly adopted 17 resolutions against israel compared to six against the rest of the world. It is astonishing this is going on.
▶ 2:12:58Senator Barrasso: What are your views on item seven.
▶ 2:13:11Rep. Stefanik: It is counter to our values and this is emblematic of the antisemitic rot within the u.n. System. I'm a believer in transparency. We saw over the course of the failed leadership in college campuses, the importance of providing a spotlight. The american people strongly support.
▶ 2:13:50Sen. Barrasso: Can we pay greater attention to the human rights abuses taking place in iran and syria.
▶ 2:14:00Rep. Stefanik: Yes, we should have one previous U.S. ambassador's chair the security council, I want to make sure that continues to be a priority speaking out on human rights issues and there are bipartisan it records to speak without moral leadership from the united states on these humanitarian crises.
▶ 2:14:30Sen. Barrasso: I asked the same question to senator rubio. The status listed as a developing nation. To me, it is not a developing nation.
▶ 2:14:50Sen. Barrasso: It has huge advantages do you believe that china is a developing nation and what is your plan to ensure that china is not able to explore an inaccurate label I believe at the u.n.
▶ 2:15:14Rep. Stefanik: They are the greatest perpetrators of international property theft. This will be the greatest challenge my generation faces.
▶ 2:15:29Rep. Stefanik: If you look at the bipartisan focus and concern on ensuring that we not only meet this challenge but that our values, we continue to strengthen our partnerships and allies around the globe, we have an opportunity to deliver bipartisan results around the space.
▶ 2:15:44Sen. Barrasso: You use words like accountability and transparency. The U.S. contributes the total budget right now -- when he percent of the total budget right now. How can you ensure that it is shared more equitably?
▶ 2:16:02Rep. Stefanik: First of all, working with members of the house and the senate and the appropriators is very important. Doing an assessment of all of our funds, ensuring we are being good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars, that we are looking at results based entities, organizations that support american interests, america first peace through strength and working with our national security team the opportunity to do so.
▶ 2:16:33Rep. Stefanik: I want to provide transparency about where every dollar is going in the u.n. And we deserve that is good stewards of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
▶ 2:16:42Sen. Barrasso: I deserve -- heard you once a we have the nation of the united states, not the united nations.
▶ 2:16:51Rep. Stefanik: I deeply support american sovereignty and I know am going there if confirmed to be the ambassador of the united states to the united nations and not the other way around and I will always stand up for american values. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:17:06Chairman Risch: Thank you. Senator lee, thank you for joining us. >> good to be back on the committee. To start off with, and I will say that I have made no secret about the fact that I have a healthy degree of skepticism about the united nations. I have introduced a bill to defund it.
▶ 2:17:32Chairman Risch: But I believe you are properly equipped and prepared to handle the challenge wish in the united nations and now. I work -- look forward to your efforts to reform it from within. The united states is one out of 193 member states belonging to the united nations.
▶ 2:18:03Chairman Risch: In this setting, the U.S. will need to engage without allies to bring about any meaningful, proper reforms within the u.n. -- who do you consider our best allies? >> the brits. Israel is a key ally. We need to continue to make inroads with developing countries in south america and africa.
▶ 2:18:31Chairman Risch: It's important to build on the success. China has had a significant effort in peeling off the votes in the general assembly. We need to approach it that every country has one vote. As a house member, no matter your district, we have one vote. We need to build our coalitions. Japan is a key ally. Australia is a key ally. We share so many values. The french are an important ally as well.
▶ 2:19:01Chairman Risch: Israel is a huge priority for me. >> how would you describe the united nations attitude is a hole towards israel?
▶ 2:19:11Rep. Stefanik: Anti-semitic. >> my thoughts exactly. That is a problem, given the U.S. relationship with israel. It's important. Concerning that the united nations takes such a hostile approach. It's concerning that within the un security council we have people that don't share our interests who have veto power. How does that limit our ability to effect significant change in the united nations?
▶ 2:19:42Rep. Stefanik: It's a significant challenge, something we will face every day, if confirmed, with the china and russia veto on the p5 and we will need to continue to address it. It's important to speak out and stand up for american values and be a voice representing the U.S. , but it's a challenge. >> the international criminal court maintains a liaison office at the u.n. Headquarters in new york.
▶ 2:20:13Rep. Stefanik: The U.S. granted the u.n. What they called an inviolable district. They also negotiated a relationship agreement that allows them to exchange information. As you know, the U.S. is not a party to the icc and with good reason. I hope we never ratify that. What are your thoughts on the cooperative relationship between the u.n. And the icc?
▶ 2:20:44Rep. Stefanik: When you support a negotiation of the united nations headquarters agreement, to clarify that the u.n. Shouldn't be housing other international organizations to which the U.S. is not a party, particularly those that take positions hostile to that of the united states interests?
▶ 2:21:02Rep. Stefanik: Thank you for asking, I have a significant record of pushing back on the icc, it has targeted U.S. service members and israel and we just on the house side past important legislation pocket -- pushing back on the disgraceful anti-semitism of the icc. We will work with our oversight members and I think it's important to make sure no U.S. taxpayer dollars, that there is any connection to that, it is counter to our values.
▶ 2:21:36Rep. Stefanik: >> right. Therein lies one of the problems. We are one of the largest donor nations and we are in a situation where most of the money we contribute is voluntary, not mandatory. No one else comes close to what we dole out, yet many of our interests are contravened by things the u.n. Does or has been inclined to do. The problem is compounded further by virtue of how this money makes its way to the u.n.
▶ 2:22:11Rep. Stefanik: Something in the neighborhood of $20 billion per year. In there. We can say we don't want our money going to x, y, z, but it all gets put into a sort of balloon. What we put in here might get taken out somewhere else and we are still funding things hostile to our interests. Would you support tailored funding cuts?
▶ 2:22:35Rep. Stefanik: How would you bring about those cuts, if so, to make sure it doesn't just come out in the wash somewhere else?
▶ 2:22:42Rep. Stefanik: I want to work with our appropriators to see how we can be most judicious in making those cuts and one of my main goals is to be a good steward of U.S. taxpayer dollars and represent american values.
▶ 2:23:00Senator: Thank you. My time has expired.
▶ 2:23:03Chairman Risch: Thank you for your view on the icc, a lot of us share the same view. Any court that wants to be a court has to know right from wrong. For the icc to proclaim some kind of moral equivalency between israel and hamas is ridiculous. They can't have any kind of standing in a judiciary or legal system with that kind of abuse.
▶ 2:23:34Chairman Risch: Thank you for your review in that regard. Senator shots?
▶ 2:23:38Senator: Thank you for taking the time. Speaking of every country having about, we had a constructive conversation about the pacific island nations with which we have made progress in terms of engagement. It's a mixed bag because of the prc influence.
▶ 2:24:01Senator: In public I would like to hear you say what we discussed in private, it's important that we remain engaged in all of these little nation's, which are sovereign and have a vote at the u.n., for strategic purposes. When we talk about the asia-pacific region talk about southey's south east asia, very little about the countries that occupy the pacific ocean and I was wondering if you could talk about that.
▶ 2:24:27Rep. Stefanik: Absolutely. Considering the importance of the region, the threat of a rising china in the region is increasingly critical and it is therefore critical that the U.S. strengthen our partnerships and diplomatic outreach to all countries within the indo pay, and it is our commitment to do so in the indo pacific islands that we discussed and deeply tied to your states national security.
▶ 2:24:54Sen. Schatz: It sure is. There are two theories of the case around how to use the u.n. To counter p.r.c. Influence. I think you and I are on the same page as it relates to what to do next.
▶ 2:25:10Sen. Schatz: My own judgment, you can tell me if you agree with this, is that to the degree and extent that we want to engage in muscular diplomacy, muscular foreign policy, muscular defense policy, it's not actually in our interests to receipt away from these u.n. Bodies. Senator lee and I probably disagree about the u.n.
▶ 2:25:31Sen. Schatz: Itself and some of the policies that it has made, but I think that we would be cutting off our nose to spite our face if we just go away from these international convening's. Because china is not going away. They are trying to run the meetings. To the extent that we withdraw, I know that w.h.o.
▶ 2:25:56Sen. Schatz: Is a done deal, paris is a done deal, fair enough, elections and consequences and all of that, but I am worried that we will just get out of the room and relegate ourselves to observer status and wonder why we are losing the battle in the room. I wonder if you are committed to staying in those rooms and fighting for american priorities and values rather than sort of taking her marbles and going home?
▶ 2:26:20Rep. Stefanik: I think it's very important that we say in those rooms, particularly the technical organizations, like tele-communications, intellectual property, aviation, artificial intelligence.
▶ 2:26:35Rep. Stefanik: We need to lead with our standards and values and frankly the world is looking for us to lead and that is an important tool in our toolkit and I look forward to working with secretary rubio and his strong voice in the senate now that he is confirmed as secretary of state.
▶ 2:26:52Rep. Stefanik: Certainly, there will be policy disagreements, I support the president's decision, but we need to push back in the short-term and long-term with people as well, both at the lowest starting entry levels within the system but also the senior levels and heads of these sub u.n. Agencies.
▶ 2:27:12Sen. Schatz: Thank you for that. I understand that there is a 90 day pause on all -- again, elections have consequences. Every president comes in and pauses all pending regulations but some of it will have material consequences pretty quickly and we don't have 90 days when it comes to our military partnerships. People don't have 90 days when it comes to humanitarian assistance.
▶ 2:27:43Sen. Schatz: I'm wondering how we navigate through the absolute prerogative that the president has to set their own policy course versus 90 days could be too long for some communities and countries.
▶ 2:27:57Rep. Stefanik: I support the president's executive action. I think it is important that we be strong voices for the american taxpayer and be sure that all of our investments go to specific results like strengthening national security, making america strong, safe, and prosperous, peace through strength. If confirmed I will work within the council and the president, the secretary of state, to make sure we have the strong tools that we need within the u.n.
▶ 2:28:25Rep. Stefanik: To work with secretary rubio on broader national security strategies as laid out by the president for the american people.
▶ 2:28:33Sen. Schatz: I guess what I'm trying to figure out is can we agree that 90 days might be too long and if confirmed you will try to figure out where to turn the spigot back on? Right now this is a blanket freezing and I presume some of the things that are frozen will get unfrozen and it would be better if we could unfreeze these things in 20 days rather than 90, because there are real geopolitical consequences to freezing all aid for three months.
▶ 2:28:58Rep. Stefanik: Thank you. I support the president's executive order. We will work on the national security council to make sure that all the tools needed for diplomacy, which is important when it comes to the u.n., and I have confidence that the president will make sure we have the tools we need to protect our national security.
▶ 2:29:17Sen. Schatz: I like the answer to your previous question better, but thank you.
▶ 2:29:21Chairman Risch: You do raise a good point. When you do a blanket executive order, sometimes the law of unintended consequences takes over. Having said that, every of these executive orders can be amended and we have a history of amending them, both sides, over years. I'm not as concerned about that, but it is a valid and legitimate point. Thank you so much. Senator cruz, you are up.
▶ 2:29:52Senator Cruz: Congresswoman, congratulations on your nomination, you will be terrific . Going back to the topic that you discussed with senator cornyn, I want to focus on the iranian push to build a nuclear arsenal, posing the most immediate and acute threat to american national security. When the ayatollah chance death to america, he means that. I believe he would absolutely detonate a nuclear weapon over an american city, if he could.
▶ 2:30:23Senator Cruz: The trump administration got iran's nuclear program and a boxed and kept it there. Trump withdrew from the catastrophic obama iran nuclear deal of 20, imposing maximum pressure in 2019, invoking the u.n. Snapback mechanism in the security council resolution, 2231, re-imposing international sanctions in 2020.
▶ 2:30:49Senator Cruz: For the entire time, iran was deterred from making significant advances in the nuclear program and did not even in rich above 5%, or cascade advanced centrifuges. Starting in november of 2020 the regime gambled that they could start rushing to a nuclear arsenal and the incoming biden administration would let them. Unfortunately, that proved correct.
▶ 2:31:18Senator Cruz: In november they approved a new law calling for major new nuclear advances. In january they started enriching at 20%. At their underground enrichment bunker built into a mountain that the obama iran nuclear deal left open. The incoming administration responded with appeasement. In february after being inaugurated, they rushed to the u.n.
▶ 2:31:45Senator Cruz: To rescind the trump snapback, again allowing international sanctions to expire. For the next four years, the administration continually dismantle pressure on the regime and refused to impose sanctions. We know the result. Today the ayatollah has achieved a nuclear breakout time of zero.
▶ 2:32:11Senator Cruz: We now face the very real possibility of an iranian nuclear arsenal. I do not believe that this is a threat the U.S. can tolerate. I am confident that the president and the secretary of state agree. I asked the secretary of state whether he intends to go to the u.n. And again trigger the snapback mechanism. As a part of his written testimony to this committee. Here was his response.
▶ 2:32:41Senator Cruz: "I believe it is in our national security interest for the un security council to snapback the sanctions that were suspended. I will execute the presidential guidance to work with our allies to make sure that snapback takes place. First, do you agree with the assessment that it is in the national security interests of the united states to snapback the sanctions?
▶ 2:33:07Rep. Stefanik: Yes.
▶ 2:33:08Sen. Cruz: How would you execute a strategy to do so, unilaterally or with allies?
▶ 2:33:15Rep. Stefanik: That will be a strategy I develop with the national security council in tandem with rubio and trump, to work with our allies within the united nations in the security council. There are allies already considering this and looking at it and that has been publicly reported. Obviously, pushing back on iran is a top priority.
▶ 2:33:38Rep. Stefanik: It was a success in the first trump term and we have seen the catastrophic results of loss of life during the previous four years when you had an emboldened iran leading directly to the october 7 terrorist attack against israel and hezbollah firing tens of thousands of rockets against israeli civilians.
▶ 2:33:58Sen. Cruz: Another topic, you and I talked about the deep rot in the united nations when it comes to supporting terrorism against america and our allies, especially israel. As you discussed with senator mccormick, for decades they have provided terrorist support. The world health organization has been deeply complicit in the use of hospitals by hamas for terrorist activities, including for the holding of hostages.
▶ 2:34:29Sen. Cruz: The complicity of these organizations deep in october 7. The biden administration embrace them. Congress prohibited that funding but official circumvented the prohibition by using infrastructure. Yesterday the president immediately withdrew our participation. I think that was a critical first step, but the next step is to enable american citizens to hold these organizations accountable.
▶ 2:35:01Sen. Cruz: We currently have an odd legal environment where these organizations enjoy more sovereign immunity than states. I introduced the libel act in the last congress, joined by the secretary of state. It would allow american victims of terrorism in their family to sue international organizations that support terrorism against us. I will soon reintroduce it in this congress.
▶ 2:35:30Sen. Cruz: What is your understanding of the role these organizations have in facilitating terrorism against americans, israelis, and our allies?
▶ 2:35:38Rep. Stefanik: They have individuals within who committed terrorist acts against israel october 7. Sinwar, the leader of hamas, carried a passport from unra. You had a hamas data center under their headquarters.
▶ 2:35:57Rep. Stefanik: I was proud to be one of the leaders when it came to defunding andra -- unra and I am committed to working with the house if that passes.
▶ 2:36:11Chairman Risch: Senator duckworth?
▶ 2:36:18Senator Duckworth: Good to see you again. Last week we talked about your strategy first jumping in and getting up to speed. What can you say today about tackling the problem set of people who have long-established relationships and have been there for a long time?
▶ 2:36:34Rep. Duckworth: I think it is important to build on their significant experience. Right now there is a transition happening. If confirmed, I hope to gain their expertise, particularly the regional expertise that many officials in the state department serving at the U.S. you admission have, especially in the technical aspects of the technical organizations and challenges within the system.
▶ 2:37:01Rep. Duckworth: The deputy rep's career, although presidentially appointed, and I will support the presidential nominee. Our hope is that it will bring career expertise from within the state department and an understanding of the u.n. System.
▶ 2:37:13Sen. Cruz: Do you commit to proactively engaging the rotating members of the council in relationships throughout those who represent the global south?
▶ 2:37:22Rep. Duckworth: Yes, it was an issue that you and I discussed and that is important and was asked in previous parts of this hearing. It is incredibly important. If you look at the chinese inroads in the global south, it is one of the greatest challenges we face when we look at you and voting habits. We need to build upon our regional organizations and push back on chinese influence in that region.
▶ 2:37:48Sen. Cruz: Thank you. Shifting gears to southeast asia, the crisis in myanmar has escalated in the past years since 2021 and millions are internally displaced, hundreds of thousands displaced into thailand and bangladesh.
▶ 2:38:15Sen. Cruz: There have been concession since 2021 with increasing sanctions to the military junta, and no sign to an end in sight for the crisis. Cyber scam centers have engaged in human trafficking, enriching themselves by targeting people with fraud. This has a major economic impact, including on those in the united states who find themselves targeted.
▶ 2:38:40Sen. Cruz: If confirmed, what ideas would you have to get after some of the challenge that make up this complex case? I'm not asking you to single, but how would you work with regional bodies under some of our long treaty allies, or in the philippines, where we have security alliances, other agencies to break through the stalemate be in the world find ourselves in when it comes to myanmar?
▶ 2:39:06Rep. Duckworth: Thank you for the question. This leads to be among the top priorities when standing up for human rights and I'm grateful to the congress and senate for having a bipartisan record when it comes to standing up for human rights and I hope to return that to a top priority when we return to the security council and I think that building on these organizations is important. I myself lead a delegation with the house armed service televisions colleagues.
▶ 2:39:38Rep. Duckworth: We've gone to thailand. We've gone to other countries in the visit. Within the region, as it is so important to the security of the region, and the values that we strongly support in the region. You pointed out that thailand is our oldest and longest ally in the region.
▶ 2:40:24Rep. Duckworth: [no audio]
▶ 2:40:28Senator: I had a couple of more follow-up questions. Let me first recognize congressman wilson, who is here in support of congresswoman sulfonic. Nice to have representation from the house foreign affairs committee. Thank you. Congresswoman, the un security council recently renewed the mandate for bosnia-herzegovina through 2025. I worry that the u.n.
▶ 2:40:58Senator: Back peacekeeping mission is needed now more than ever, perhaps in greater force, because of the republican -- the republican leader sanctioned by the U.S. who continues successive threats . If confirmed, will you commit to building consensus for maintaining the peacekeeping mission in the long term?
▶ 2:41:20Rep. Duckworth: Yes. >> another area I'm concerned about is the work of the international organization on migration and the u.n. Refugee agency supporting thousands of displaced from the russian occupied territory. We know we have about 7 million ukrainian refugees globally, 3.6 million internally displaced in ukraine.
▶ 2:41:47Rep. Duckworth: Moldova, sandwiched between ukraine and has significant russian influence, hosting refugees equivalent to 5% of the population, dependent on you in humanitarian support especially. If confirmed, will you continue to support these critical humanitarian operations in ukraine and moldova?
▶ 2:42:11Rep. Duckworth: It's important that we take a look at all u.n. Agencies and entities to make sure that they represent our values and I want to work with the national security council and secretary rubio to do an assessment that is results focused and get back to you when we do that, but I want to work with him on that.
▶ 2:42:29Rep. Duckworth: >> that's fair and I think it is in our interest to help ensure that those countries who are impacted by the fallout from the conflict have the support to be able to withstand russian influence so that they don't also fall as a result of conflict. Let me also register my support for the unit fill mission.
▶ 2:43:02Rep. Duckworth: We need to examine it to make sure that they continue to be a strong bulwark against hezbollah and what's happening in lebanon. But we need to ensure that there is somebody there to address the peacekeeping that needs to continue now as the result. Lebanon has actually made some real progress in getting a president and prime minister in place who are outside of the influence of hezbollah.
▶ 2:43:31Rep. Duckworth: Anything we can do to make sure that continues is really important. That said, I also want to go back to syria. You talked a little bit about concerns over hts and what they will continue to do in syria. It has come up and questioning. The fall of assad probably dealt as big of a blow to iran and russia as anything that has happened in the middle east in recent years.
▶ 2:44:01Rep. Duckworth: I think it is important for us to think about how we fill the vacuum. Because if we don't, or those people who support freedom support opportunity for self-determination for the syrian people, we know iran, russia, and other players will come back into the region. Can you talk a bit about how you think we can ensure humanitarian aid continues to get through into syria and that the u.n.
▶ 2:44:31Rep. Duckworth: Can engage to make sure that we don't have our adversaries filling the vacuum?
▶ 2:44:38Rep. Duckworth: I am deeply concerned about our adversaries filling that vacuum and think it is important that we continue to make sure that there is not another reign of terror, frankly, against of the syrian people. It's complex. There are open questions. I want to work with secretary rubio and president trump to make sure that we have a real verification process. Going back to trust but verify.
▶ 2:45:09Rep. Duckworth: That is important meant before I make any commitments today and I'm not going to get ahead of the president. No question that assad's fall is a major blow to iran. It's an opportunity in the region for people that have been human rights abuse, slaughtered by the assad regime. The use of chemical rep and -- chemical weapons. We've pushed back throughout congress, and I congratulate trump for his military response.
▶ 2:45:42Rep. Duckworth: I think I need to -- I have committed to this committee that I will work with the un security council, but will support the presidential approach in a unique for this moment in time opportunity without terror. >> I appreciate that and look forward to working with you. I think that time is of the essence here and we don't have a lot of time to look at the options before our adversaries move in. Thank you.
▶ 2:46:11Chairman Risch: Thank you. Anything else for the good of the organization? One very brief follow-up, senator?
▶ 2:46:22Senator: What do you see is your most important lever or levers within the united nations, should you be confirmed, as our ambassador to the u.n.? What are the most important levers to real authority to bring about reform?
▶ 2:46:36Rep. Duckworth: Our vote on the security council. The fact that we are the biggest funder. We need to stand for our american values at the united nations. As I said earlier in my testimony, if confirmed I will represent the united states, that is the responsibility and what I am hoping to do, but it is the un security council vote and are funding in the -- and the transparency that should come along with that funding.
▶ 2:47:04Chairman Risch: Senator duckworth?
▶ 2:47:08Senator Duckworth: Just one question, really, it's about the rights of people with disabilities around the world. The united states is in a unique position to lead. This is a place where you can work with people around the world who face discrimination and the like. We are still dealing with unexploded ordinances from the vietnam war in places like laos and cambodia.
▶ 2:47:35Senator Duckworth: Have you thought a little bit about what work you would do when it comes to the work with people who have disabilities in your role?
▶ 2:47:41Rep. Stefanik: Absolutely, senator, thank you for your leadership on this issue working with so many across the aisle. I think it is an important way that america can lead when it comes to human rights and dignity and I hope to bring that leadership. I know that secretary rubio and his testimony committed to that as well from the state department approach and I hope to be a strong partner in doing so.
▶ 2:48:03Sen. Duckworth: Thank you.
▶ 2:48:05Chairman Risch: Thank you very much. At this point, I am going to order the letters of support and matters related thereto regarding congressman's to phonic into the record. They will be placed in the record and we will leave the record open until 5 p.m. Tomorrow evening, in case there are questions for the record from those in committee. With that, our thanks to you. Thank you for spending the time with us here today.
▶ 2:48:33Chairman Risch: Unless there is anything else for the good of the order, the committee is adjourned.