'Poster Child Of Ineffective Bureaucracy': Bill Hagerty Slams 'Bloated' United Nations

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During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) spoke about the United Nations.

Transcript

00:00Great. Thank you, Ambassador. Senator Hagerty.

00:01Thank you, Chairman Ricketts. And again, welcome to all of you.

00:06Several of the panelists today are nominated to serve at the United Nations,

00:09so I'd like to start with the United Nations today, if I might. If you think about it,

00:14the United Nations has become the poster child of ineffective bureaucracy. It's bloated,

00:20it's slow-moving, it's resistant to reform. And despite the billions of dollars of annual

00:26contributions that come to the UN disproportionately coming from the United States,

00:32the organization remains played by overlapping mandates, weak accountability, and an entrenched

00:39culture of cultural inefficiency. If I think about it, the UN all too often

00:48takes and diverts their resources into administrative overhead rather than frontline impact.

00:55Its missions suffer from poor oversight, and its decision-making is quite often politicized.

01:02So, Mr. Bartosz, I'd like to start with you. Just explain to us your plans for increasing the

01:07efficiency and the financial accountability and impact of the United Nations.

01:11Senator, thank you for the question, and I want to also say thank you for your leadership

01:15from the time you got to the Senate on defunding UNRWA and working towards the dismantlement of

01:21UNRWA. It's meant a lot to so many people, your leadership on that. And we, if confirmed,

01:26will be serving under the most consequential and effective president in history for the U.S.-Israel

01:31relationship, as well as a leader whose record of combating antisemitism is second to none.

01:38And so, while we approach the 50th anniversary of the stain of the Zionism as racism

01:43resolution at the UN, a stain on that body that's almost 50 years old, it seems like this is an

01:51organization that's immune, or resistant is a good word, but I would say almost

01:55it's just immune to reform. Well, I think they've demonstrated their perspective, and you have

02:03a unique window of opportunity, I think. I do. It's because of President Trump's leadership,

02:08his vision, his leadership, and his charge to us that every dollar that goes through the UN system

02:16cannot be. The American people are the most generous people on earth. We have been the most generous

02:20funders. Our nation has been the most generous funders for 80 years. And the President has charged,

02:25and Secretary Ruby has charged, to say not a dollar of that can go to waste, fraud, and abuse,

02:29and every dollar must make us safer, stronger, and more prosperous. And I think it's with presidential

02:35leadership, leadership of the Secretary of State, and if confirmed, our team to use our generosity and

02:44the U.S.'s role at the UN, our dollars need to matter. They need to matter in procurement. They need to

02:50matter in personnel, and they need to matter when we say that this organization needs to be, or this

02:55particular agency needs, needs reform. It's that presidential leadership, leadership from the

02:59Secretary, and if confirmed, our team's leadership, to execute the President's America First agenda.

03:05It's an organization that cries out for leadership and, frankly, respect for those that fund it. I've

03:09attended the United States General Assembly meeting when President Trump spoke. I've been there on

03:14multiple occasions with President Trump. That organization is basically out of control right now.

03:20in terms of their inefficiency, their lack of respect for those that fund it, and the

03:25politicization of many of the institutions. And on the politicization front, I'd like to turn to you,

03:29Ms. Lucetta. If you think about it, the UN was founded on principles of peace, security, and human rights.

03:36But the organization has become increasingly politicized. If you think about the authoritarian regimes

03:41there right now that seem to dominate its institutions, they do it in a way that legitimizes their

03:46own agendas. They do it in a way that helps them avoid scrutiny. I wanted you to talk specifically

03:51about how you would address the politicization within UN agencies. Think about the Human Rights

03:56Council, UNESCO. These sort of hostile authoritarian regimes often take these organizations and steer

04:03their agendas in a way that's very contrary to U.S. interest.

04:06Thank you, Senator, for your question. And I share your concern. As you know, in February,

04:14President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Human Rights Council.

04:19That same executive order also called for the review of our participation in international

04:25organizations to make sure that our participation aligns with national interests. Many organizations

04:32in the UN have lost their way. Both the Human Rights Council and UNESCO continually serve as examples

04:39of the pervasive anti-Israel bias that exists within the UN. They continually push back on Israel's right

04:45to sovereign self-defense. And further, an organization like the Human Rights Council enables countries

04:52with brutal regimes like Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea to have a platform despite their own terrible

04:59records with human rights abuses. These organizations must get back to the founding principles of the UN,

05:06which is to prevent war and to maintain international peace and security. If confirmed, I will work

05:12with the State Department on the outcome of their review, and I will review our participation in

05:18international organizations to make sure that everything that we do makes sure that America is

05:22stronger, safer, and more prosperous. Well, beyond review, I hope you hold them to account. Mr. Chair,

05:26if you would have indulged me with one final question, I'd like to come back to you, Ambassador Blanchard. I'm

05:32very interested in your leadership and look forward to your leadership at the UN's Food and Agricultural

05:37Organization and the related agencies in Rome. I visited that mission in the past, and I'm very

05:43concerned about the influence that exists there right now. The Director General today, Director Chu Deng-Yu,

05:51and his deputies have basically steered FAO priorities in the direction that supports Beijing

05:58and its desires, and certainly in means that don't support the United States and our allies.

06:03If you look ahead to the 2027 election of a new Director General, I'd just like to know if you plan

06:10to make certain that we have either a U.S. nominee or at least an ally as a nominee to be the new

06:16Director General so we can get this organization back on course. Thank you, Senator, for the question.

06:21Certainly, I've been looking forward. I've already had the pleasure to speak with my deputy who has

06:30already arrived at post, and I told him let's not get ahead of the Senate, but he has informed me of

06:37some things, and we really would like to focus on building partnerships with our allies right away,

06:44if confirmed when I get to post, because it's the partnerships that will be able to elect all the

06:53new entities, and of course all the infiltration, not to mention in the other areas that the CCP has

07:02tried to take over abroad in our food sourcing. So it'll be my pleasure to partner with our allies and

07:11figure out how we can come together and pick a candidate that can win and that can lead this

07:18organization with like-minded American initiatives. Well, I look forward to a new nominee and many more

07:24purchases of Nebraska agricultural products. And with that, I'd also just like to commend all of our

07:30nominees to the U.N. You've got a challenging job ahead of you, but we absolutely need you to take

07:35care of that. And to our two country ambassadors nominees, I look forward to your confirmation and working

07:40with you in your future roles. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

07:43Thank you, Senator Herringy. Senator Coons.

07:45Mr. Chairman, I'll defer to my friend and colleague from the state.

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