by: Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, Kevin Liptak, Sarah Ferris, Alayna Treene and Betsy Klein, CNN
Posted: / Updated:
(CNN) — Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch said Thursday he’s been notified that Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations will be withdrawn by the White House.
The White House had been engaged in discussions about pulling the nomination amid concerns about slim margins in the House of Representatives, according to two sources familiar with the conversations.
The nomination had languished amid a reality the razor-thin House Republican majority could complicate passing some of the president’s top agenda initiatives.
President Donald Trump announced that he had chosen Stefanik, a New York congresswoman and longtime ally, as his pick for the Cabinet role days after the November 2024 election.
The narrow majority has routinely created headaches for Speaker Mike Johnson in bringing bills to the floor and poses a threat to congressional GOP plans to pass a sweeping package focused on tax cuts that could be Trump’s signature legislative achievement – if Republicans can stay unified to pass it without support from Democrats.
Currently, Republicans hold 218 seats to Democrats’ 213 and there are four vacancies. Under the current breakdown, Republicans can only afford to have two defections and still pass a bill on a party-line vote.
There are two special elections set for Tuesday to fill vacant seats previously held by Republicans, but even after those elections, the GOP House majority will remain narrow.
One of the sources familiar with the talks said it’s been a point of frustration for Stefanik, who forfeited her leadership position as chair of the House Republican Conference, the number three House Republican, in preparation for the role.
Two House Republican sources confirmed that Stefanik staff is aware of the discussions, first reported by CBS News.
Trump has not made confirming the position a priority, a White House official said. Nikki Haley and Kelly Craft served as U.S. ambassadors to the UN during Trump’s first term.
CNN’s Clare Foran contributed to this report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
