MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Republicans on Capitol Hill have worked quickly to confirm President Trump's cabinet nominees.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Yeah. Some have faced contentious battles. Others have sailed right through Senate votes. There was only one pick left to appear in front of the Senate, and that was New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik - President Trump's choice to be ambassador to the United Nations. But that changed yesterday when he pulled her nomination, saying he's asked her to stay in the House of Representatives.
MARTIN: Here to explain why is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. She's here with me in our studios. Good morning.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Good morning.
MARTIN: So Elise Stefanik's nomination was expected to be an easy vote. So what happened?
MOORE: Well, Stefanik is a close ally of the president, and she's really been seen as a rising star within the party. She was elected in 2014 and, at the time, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She was a vocal Trump defender during his 2019 impeachment hearing and later rose to a top leadership position within the party. All of this was supposed to make her confirmation process appear easy. The problem, it turned out, Michel, wasn't Stefanik, but House Republicans and their razor-thin majority. You know, on most bills, the party can only afford to lose one or two votes. And, you know, there was a chance Stefanik's departure would only make things harder, which Trump decided was too risky. He wrote on social media yesterday that Republicans needed to maintain every seat they can.
MARTIN: OK, but Republicans have known about their razor-thin majority as far back as November...
MOORE: Right.
MARTIN: ...When Trump picked Stefanik. So why now?
MOORE: Yeah. I mean, well, since the fall, two other Republicans have left office - former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who resigned before the start of the term, and former Florida Congressman Mike Waltz, who now serves as Trump's national security adviser. Special elections are underway for both of those seats. And Republicans are easily expected to hold on in Gaetz's district, but the race for Waltz's seat is shaping up to be way more competitive than expected.
And, you know, Stefanik won her race by double digits last fall. But, you know, the decision to withdraw her nomination shows that Republicans just don't want to take any more risks right now in any more races, especially when there's still a long to-do list on Capitol Hill. You know, Trump has done a lot by executive action, but in terms of legislation, it's a different story. Republicans want to make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent. They also want more funding for defense and the president's immigration agenda. So again, Michel, this really is a reminder of just how fragile the GOP majority in the House is right now.
MARTIN: What's been the reaction on Capitol Hill?
MOORE: Well, for her part, Stefanik told Fox News last night that she supported Trump's decision.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ELISE STEFANIK: I have been proud to be a team player. The president knows that. He and I had multiple conversations today, and we are committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people.
MOORE: House Speaker Mike Johnson has invited Stefanik back to House GOP leadership. But it's unclear what role that may be since her old job has since been filled. And, you know, though Johnson expressed enthusiasm about having her back, on the Democratic side, they're framing this whole moment pretty differently. In a statement from House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, he said, quote, "House Republicans are running scared."
MARTIN: That is NPR political reporter Elena Moore. Elena, thank you.
MOORE: Thanks. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
