Rep. Elise Stefanik‘s (R-NY) nomination to serve as President Donald Trump‘s ambassador to the United Nations has been pulled over concerns about House math.
“As we advance our America First Agenda, it is essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress,” Trump posted on social media, noting he “asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress.”
The White House notified Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) that her nomination would be withdrawn minutes before the formal announcement, with Senate Republicans expressing surprise at the development.
“I was informed that just minutes ago,” Risch told the Washington Examiner. Less than an hour earlier, he told reporters that he had not been in contact with the White House on her nomination.
Stefanik was one of Trump’s first nominees after he won back the White House. She withdrew her position from House leadership, and Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) won the spot as GOP Conference chairwoman.
Trump signaled he wants Stefanik to return to leadership, but it’s unclear to what role, as McClain will not be resigning.
“Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People,” Trump wrote. “Speaker Johnson is thrilled! I look forward to the day when Elise is able to join my Administration in the future. She is absolutely FANTASTIC.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he is inviting Stefanik to the “leadership table immediately.”
Noting the “razor-thin House majority,” Johnson praised Stefanik as “selfless” for staying in Congress to help usher through Trump’s agenda.
“There is no doubt she would have served with distinction as our ambassador to the United Nations, but we are grateful for her willingness to sacrifice that position and remain in Congress to help us save the country,” Johnson said in a statement.
Reports began circulating on Thursday, six days before Stefanik’s nomination was set to move forward, that there is pressure for her to back off from the U.N. ambassador position due to the small majority Republicans hold in the House.
This wouldn’t be the first time a member of Congress was no longer considered for an administration position. Former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for attorney general amid the dramatics surrounding an Ethics Committee report on his alleged behavior while in office.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who is leading the effort to pass Trump’s legislative agenda through reconciliation with Johnson, alluded to the difficulties of losing a House Republican vote.
“Well, it’s probably something to do with the political realities these days,” Thune said after Trump’s announcement, telling reporters separately that “she would have made a great U.N. ambassador.”
A senior White House official noted that Stefanik’s seat likely would have stayed vacant for most of the year, alluding to GOP fears that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) would slow-walk scheduling a special election. House Republicans are hoping to pass their tax, border, and energy legislation through both chambers by Memorial Day.
“We don’t have time to waste. We need to get President Trump’s agenda enacted as soon as possible,” the official told the Washington Examiner. “Debt ceiling and reconciliation votes are going to be tough already due to Democrats and slim margins and we can’t make it tougher on ourselves.”
Republicans and Trump have long been concerned that the thin margins in the House would affect how quickly the GOP can enact his agenda, particularly as a handful of conservatives tend to break with the party over government spending and the debt ceiling. With the vacancies and a number of deaths, Johnson can only afford to lose two votes on any given measure to pass it along party lines.
GOP lawmakers and allies are already concerned about the special elections in Florida to replace Gaetz and national security adviser Mike Waltz, as the Republican candidates are being outfundraised by millions of dollars and only winning in preelection polls by a few points. Both Gaetz and Waltz won reelection in those seats by 30 percentage points each.
Republicans have also faced significant defeats in the first state legislative races after the GOP trifecta took effect on Jan. 20. Red seats in Pennsylvania, New York, and Iowa flipped blue in recent races, with House Democratic leaders pointing to this as a sign that “Republicans are on the run.”
“In places where Republicans should not simply be winning, but winning easily, and it’s because there is an energized Democratic base, and swing voters, along with independents, are abandoning Republicans in droves all across America,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Thursday. “That’s why Republicans are actually spending millions of dollars in two districts in Florida that Donald Trump won by north of 30 points.”
REPUBLICANS FRET ABOUT FLORIDA SPECIAL ELECTION IN WALTZ DISTRICT
Timing is key, as Republicans are working to approve a budget framework for Trump’s agenda that calls for millions in cuts. Senate Republicans are likely to make changes that could complicate a compromise resolution with the House.
Meanwhile, if Democrats are successful in flipping one of the Florida special election districts, and Democrats maintain their two vacant seats, Johnson will have a one-seat majority.
Mabinty Quarshie contributed to this report.
