CNN
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The White House on Thursday pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be US ambassador to the United Nations amid concerns over slim margins in the US House of Representatives.
President Donald Trump declared he was withdrawing the nomination, which had already languished for months, to help preserve the House GOP’s razor-thin majority – critical, he said, to enacting his agenda.
The president also said he didn’t want to “take a chance” on Stefanik’s open seat in northern New York, which heavily favored Republicans.
“The people love Elise and, with her, we have nothing to worry about come Election Day. There are others that can do a good job at the United Nations. Therefore, Elise will stay in Congress, rejoin the House Leadership Team, and continue to fight for our amazing American People,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The decision stunned some members of House GOP leadership, as well as members of the New York delegation, who were deep in conversations about that special election, according to multiple people familiar with the decision.
Stefanik – who had previously risen to the rank of No. 3 House Republican – forfeited her leadership post last year in order to join Trump’s Cabinet.
While she was sworn in for the 119th Congress, she has had a bare bones staffing and no major role on any House committees.
In a statement, Speaker Mike Johnson thanked Stefanik for agreeing to remain in the House and vowed to create a new place for her on his leadership team.
“It is well known Republicans have a razor-thin House majority, and Elise’s agreement to withdraw her nomination will allow us to keep one of the toughest, most resolute members of our Conference in place to help drive forward President Trump’s America First policies,” Johnson wrote. “I will invite her to return to the leadership table immediately.”
Asked about the White House’s decision to pull the nomination because of tight margins in the House, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, “They just realized that now?”
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Jim Risch said earlier Thursday he had been informed that Stefanik’s nomination would be withdrawn by the White House.
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 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.
This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.
CNN’s Manu Raju, Ted Barrett, Alayna Treene and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
