Elise Stefanik will appear before senators today at the confirmation hearing for UN ambassador

Republican Representative. Elise Stefanik will face questions from senators on Tuesday as she defends her reputation and qualifications as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik, one of President Trump’s most trusted allies in Congress, appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for her confirmation hearing less than 24 hours after Mr. Trump was sworn into office. Mr Trump hopes his key Cabinet members will be confirmed and take office once he is president on January 20. Stefanik is likely to be confirmed when the full Senate moves to a vote.

Stefanik, 40, would be the youngest U.S. ambassador ever to the United Nations. The New York Republican held a leadership position as Republican conference chair and was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. And those skills she learned in Congress will serve her well, said John Alterman, senior vice president and director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Alterman said Stefanik brings some of the most important qualities a U.N. ambassador can have — a close relationship with the president and the ability to communicate and implement his policies.

“The most important thing about being a representative is having a relationship with the president and being able to speak for the president and the policies of the administration,” Alterman said. “I think she’s very good at thinking about news, she understands the president’s instincts and he likes her.”

“And I think that the political skills you learn in Congress are ultimately very helpful when you work at the United Nations,” Alterman continued. “I mean, a lot of it is about building coalitions, neutralizing opposition, finding compromises. All of those things are skills that Congress and other types of political experience are great for.”

Trump’s decision to represent the United States at the United Nations is also one of the institution’s most vocal critics. Stefanik has described the UN as anti-Semitic and sharply criticized its actions towards Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.

After the UN overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution in September calling on Israel to end its “illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories” within 12 months, Stefanik said that “the UN’s anti-Semitic rot is on clear display because it punishes Israel for its self-defense.” Stefanik has been highly critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the situation in the Middle East and was the first senior member of the House of Representatives to visit Israel after the Hamas attack. It will undoubtedly play a role in the aftermath ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which came into force this weekend. .

Stefanik has championed Mr. Trump’s “America First” message and agenda, insisting that the United States must focus its spending, energy and attention on issues that directly affect the United States. Stefanik has previously supported military aid to Ukraine and previously voted for sanctions against Russia. Although she expanded her invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she rejected the latest additional aid. In April 2024, she was one of 112 Republicans to vote against a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.

When Trump announced her as his pick for the U.N., Stefanik said she was “ready to lead President Donald Jr. Trump’s restoration of America’s first peace through strong leadership on the world stage from day one.”

Alterman said he believes people “underestimate her communication skills.”

“I think she’s very smart and clever,” Alterman said. “And having a UN ambassador who can understand the impact of her words and actions advances the government’s agenda.”

Who is Elise Stefanik?

Stefanik was elected to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District in 2014 and, at 30, was the youngest Republican woman to join Congress. Since then, she has easily won re-election in her district in upstate New York. As chairwoman of the GOP conference, Stefanik was the highest-ranking woman in the House.

Stefanik was born and raised in upstate New York. According to her office, she was the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree. She graduated from Harvard University where she studied government.

In her 20s, she worked in the White House on President George W. Bush’s Domestic Policy Council.

Stefanik and her husband have a son.

How to watch Elise Stefanik’s confirmation hearing

• What: Confirmation hearing of Elise Stefanik
• Date: Tuesday, January 21st
• Time: 10 O `clock
• Location: House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing Room, Capitol Hill
• Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.