Mike Waltz's Opening Remarks: Confirmation Hearing for UN Ambassador

Nominee's Background and Family

• 🇺🇸 Mike Waltz is introduced as President Trump's nominee for United Nations Ambassador.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He acknowledges his family, including his wife Julia, mother Brenda, and daughter Anderson, while humorously noting his young son Army was spared the Capitol Police.
• 🎖️ Special thanks are extended to fellow Green Berets, Seals, veterans, and Gold Star families, emphasizing shared experiences and the impact of decisions made in Washington.

Experience and Observations at the UN

• 🌍 Waltz draws on his experience as a Green Beret serving with development agencies and the UN in Africa and the Middle East.
• 📉 He highlights issues of poor execution within organizations, citing examples of hospitals lacking beds and schools lacking supplies due to bureaucratic bloat and inefficient aid distribution.
• 💰 He addresses concerns from hardworking Americans about whether their tax money is being well-spent by the UN.

Proposed UN Reforms and Challenges

• 🗣️ Waltz advocates for the UN as a crucial platform for global dialogue but stresses the need for reform to return to its core mission of peacemaking.
• peacekeeping missions, noting the US funds 25% of these efforts but sees missions with no clear end states or renewals.
• 🇨🇳 He calls for challenging China's favorable status as a developing nation within UN agencies and its influence on international standards.
• 🇮🇱 The nominee addresses pervasive anti-semitism within the UN, citing the disproportionate number of resolutions against Israel and the issues with UNRWA.
• 💸 Waltz questions the UN's budget growth, noting that while revenue has quadrupled, world peace has not, and the US contributes more than 183 countries combined.
• 🏛️ He supports transparency and reform, referencing the Secretary General's plan for a 20% staff cut and pushing back against politicized reports targeting American institutions.

Vision for Peace Through Strength

• 🕊️ Citing Ronald Reagan, Waltz emphasizes the UN's potential to solve problems or spread discord, with the choice being ours.
• 🇺🇸 He commends President Trump's actions in bringing hostages home, securing the border, and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
• 💪 Waltz expresses confidence that under President Trump's leadership, the UN can be instrumental in spreading peace and prosperity, aiming to "make the UN great again."