The nomination of former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has successfully navigated a significant procedural obstacle.
On Thursday morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee endorsed Waltz's nomination, with the vote largely falling along party lines.
As reported by Daily Caller, the committee's vote was 12 to 10 in favor of Waltz's nomination. Notably, Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, known for his occasional divergence from party consensus on foreign policy matters, was the sole GOP legislator to oppose Waltz's advancement.
The nomination will now proceed to the Senate floor, where Waltz is anticipated to secure a successful confirmation vote with relative ease.
During Waltz's confirmation hearing on July 15, Paul expressed strong criticism of Waltz's more aggressive foreign policy stance. The Kentucky Republican took issue with Waltz's past efforts to maintain a presence of 8,000 service members in Afghanistan during his tenure in the House.
Paul stated, The idea that Congress should be involved with declaring war is sort of pass. Its old-fashioned. But when it comes to ending a war, you voted with [former Republican Wyoming Rep.] Liz Cheney and the others to say that the president couldnt end the war.
Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the leading Democrat on the foreign relations panel, backed Waltz's nomination following a negotiation with the Trump administration to release foreign aid funding. Shaheen, who has chosen not to run for reelection in 2026, confirmed in a post-vote statement that she had secured commitments from the administration to provide $75 million in medical and food assistance funding to Haiti and Nigeria.
Despite some disagreements, Shaheen acknowledged Waltz's merits, stating, I disagree with Mike Waltz on some issues, including his use of unclassified systems to coordinate sensitive discussions. However, I recognize that Mr. Waltz represents a moderating force with a distinguished record of military service and an extensive background in national security policymaking.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch also expressed support for Waltz, commending his previous foreign policy experience and his dedication to reforming the UN. Risch told Waltz during the confirmation hearing, Your pragmatism and patriotism are sorely needed in New York because, as you know, there is a lot of rot at the UN. Antisemitism and anti-American sentiments are on the rise, as is the influence of China and Russia.
Waltz's nomination to the UN role by Trump in May followed rumors of his departure from his national security position. Reports suggested that the former Florida congressman had difficulty collaborating with other White House officials, and his standing with the president reportedly suffered after his involvement in the leaking of classified information on the messaging platform Signal.
Before Waltz, Trump had initially nominated Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik for the UN position. However, concerns that her resignation from the House of Representatives would jeopardize Speaker Mike Johnsons ability to pass legislation with slim margins led to the withdrawal of her nomination.
Stefanik is now expected to run against Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul in 2026, and it is likely she will dominate the Republican field. This potential primary conflict concluded Wednesday when Republican New York Rep. Mike Lawler decided against a gubernatorial run.
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