United Nations, Sep 17 (AP)—Mike Waltz's official debut as President Donald Trump's U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is likely to be delayed, as procedural hurdles have stalled his confirmation process.
Last week, Waltz's nomination was returned to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after Democrats blocked more than 25 of Trump's executive branch nominees. Waltz’s nomination will face another committee vote on Wednesday before being sent to the Senate floor, but it is highly improbable he will be confirmed by the full Senate before the General Assembly's high-level session starts on Monday.
Sen. Jim Risch, the GOP chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the Democrats, stating, "Senate Democrats' extension of their blockade on President Trump's nominations is a deterrent to bipartisan committee work and has hurt America's standing on the world stage.” He further expressed confidence that Republicans would manage to confirm Waltz in the coming weeks.
Waltz previously served for only a short period as Trump's national security adviser before being ousted in May, following an incident where he inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal chat concerning sensitive military plans. While Waltz denied being removed, claiming he was transitioning to the UN role, the Pentagon inspector general is investigating the matter.
The UN ambassador position had been vacant for nearly six months by the time the White House forwarded Waltz's paperwork to the Senate, marking it as the last Cabinet position to be filled due to delays and the withdrawal of former nominee Rep. Elise Stefanik over concerns for the Republican House majority.
The delay in advancing Waltz's nomination, despite bipartisan support in the committee, remains unclear. A Democratic congressional aide remarked that the White House exhibited "no urgency" in confirming Waltz before next week's significant UN meeting. He was expected to represent the United States alongside President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also holds the position of national security adviser.
A White House official noted that Trump "has been clear" about wanting his nominees confirmed swiftly, though they did not comment specifically on Waltz's nomination.
On Wednesday, Republicans are anticipated to confirm Waltz and over 25 other Trump nominees, sent back to committee en bloc, using a new tactic to facilitate the confirmation of large groups for administration positions after negotiations with Democrats failed.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune's move reflects the continuation of a 12-year trend where both parties have made gradual changes to weaken the filibuster and increase partisanship in the nominations process.
Once confirmed, Waltz will assume his role at the United Nations headquarters in New York during a period of significant change for the international organization, which recently marked its 80th anniversary. The UN is grappling with Trump's decision to slash foreign assistance funding, impacting its humanitarian agencies and signaling further U.S. funding cuts to the UN budget.
During his July confirmation hearing, Waltz stated that UN revenue “has quadrupled in the last 20 years,” without a corresponding increase in peace. He added, “The U.S. must ensure that every foreign aid dollar and every contribution to an international organization, particularly the UN, draws a straight and direct line to a compelling U.S. national interest.”
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