Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations nominee, pledged Tuesday to bring President Trump’s “America First” vision to the intergovernmental organization 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,” she said in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The New York congresswoman said the U.N. had lost its way since its 1945 founding in the aftermath of World War II. “The purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations based on a shared respect for the principle of equal rights, solve international problems, and harmonize the actions of nations in the attainment of common ends,” she told senators. “The U.N. has not lived up to this founding mission and we must demand better.” She noted the U.S. is the largest single contributor to the U.N. and said the government needs to make sure the funding is going toward making the country safer, stronger and more prosperous. “We must invest in programs that strengthen our national security and deliver results. To increase the efficacy of U.N. programs, we must drive reform,” she said. Rep. Stefanik, who went viral over the summer with her grilling of university presidents for their handling of anti-Israel protests, noted that the U.N. had passed several resolutions condemning Israel’s prosecution of the war. “Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption, or terrorism,” she said. Watch more at c-span.org
#elisestefanik #stefanik #unitednations #un #senate #cspan