Jan. 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump‘s pick for U.N. ambassador will offer insight into his direction for foreign relations in a Senate committee hearing on Tuesday.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill beginning at 10 a.m. EST. The committee is chaired by Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho.
Stefanik, 40, is a longtime loyalist to Trump, championing many of his priorities even when he was out of office. If confirmed, she will be the youngest U.S. ambassador to the U.N. ever.
As a member of the U.S. House, Stefanik serves on the House Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Education and Workforce. She has served in Congress since 2015.
Trump’s former primary rival Nikki Haley served as his ambassador to the U.N. during his first term through the end of 2018.
The first of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Sen. Marco Rubio, was confirmed unanimously by the Senate on Monday. Sen. Risch praised Rubio on the Senate Floor before the final vote.
“Marco’s qualification and ability to stand in the shoes of Thomas Jefferson, our first secretary of State and the 70 who followed him, are unchallengeable,” Risch said.
Not all of Trump’s nominees have been so warmly received. Democrats have sounded the alarm about Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Defense, over a history of alcohol abuse and misogynistic public comments, and allegations of sexual abuse.
Trump’s second choice for attorney general Pam Bondi has also sparked criticism from Democrats as she continues to avoid acknowledging that Trump lost the 2020 election. Democrats also question her ability to oppose Trump if asked to do something illegal or unconstitutional.
During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Bondi and Republican senators said they did not believe Trump would pardon violent offenders from the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. During Trump’s first hours in office, Trump did just that, issuing full pardons for more than 1,500 people, including those convicted of violent crimes and using weapons against Capitol police, in an executive order.