Update on the New Administration and 119th Congress
By National Executive Director Ken Greenberg
The November elections resulted in the American people electing Donald J. Trump as President, flipping the Senate to a Republican majority, and maintaining a Republican majority in the House of Representatives. Beginning on January 3, 2025, the 119th Congress Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a 220-215 majority in the House of Representatives.
President-elect Trump’s Nominees for Key Executive Branch Positions
The Trump Administration announced nominees for positions related to Israel, national security, and foreign policy, and the Secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs; I provided JWV leadership with updates on those nominated to reflect changes in the Executive Branch and Congress. I am pleased to share this important information with the larger JWV, JWVA, and NMAJMH memberships. (The sources include The Hill Report, Stars and Stripes, and Miltary.com).
According to the President-elect’s team and media reports, the emerging team suggests the Trump administration, backed by a GOP-controlled Congress, will continue to be a strong supporter of Israel. The team includes several strong personalities who may disagree on various policy aspects, even if they all share strong support for Israel.
Here’s a look at who are the key players.
Doug Collins for Secretary of Veteran Affairs
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Doug Collins, 58, an Air Force Reserve chaplain and former Georgia congressman, as the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Collins is a colonel in the Air Force Reserve. According to media reports, he deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2008 with the 94th Airlift Wing, based in Dobbins, GA. His most recent duty station was Robins Air Force Base, GA, where he served as an individual mobile augmentee to the command chaplain, according to the service.
On the social media platform X, Collins said he was “honored to accept the nomination and that veterans deserve ‘the best care and support.’ We’ll fight tirelessly to streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they’ve earned,” Collins wrote. “Together, we’ll make the VA work for those who fought for us. Time to deliver for our veterans and give them the world-class care they deserve.”
Collins served in Congress from 2013 to 2021 and never served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He made a name for himself as a reliably conservative lawmaker with high marks from conservative advocacy groups. While in Congress, Collins voted in favor of major veterans bills on the House floor, including the 2014 Choice Act, the 2018 Mission Act, and the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. A vocal proponent of gun rights, he also voted in support of a bill that wouldn’t become law until after he left Congress that made it easier for some veterans to access guns.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) will be the Chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee next year and will lead Collins’ confirmation process, congratulated Collins in a social media post and said he has “a strong understanding of the policies that impact veterans.”
President Trump nominated a candidate who has demonstrated his dedication to public service and a willingness to support veterans and their families,” Moran wrote. “I look forward to Congressman Collins’ testimony before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.”
Sen. Marco Rubio for Secretary of State and Rep. Mike Waltz for National Security Advisor
Trump’s picks of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) as his National Security Adviser put two experienced foreign policy and national security strategists in Trump’s orbit. Both have staked out hard-line positions on supporting Israel in its defense against Iran and Iranian-backed proxies, like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.
In 2020, Waltz supported then-President Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East, which gave Palestinians limited autonomy among disconnected territory in the West Bank and gave Netanyahu the green light to de facto annexations of Israeli settlements. It is unclear how much of Trump’s 2020 peace plan he’ll try to employ in a second administration.
Rubio has previously joined forces with Democrats to raise concerns about entering into nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia. His experience on Capitol Hill could help Trump devise a workable plan to carry out the president’s vision. Rubio’s position requires Senate confirmation, while Waltz’s does not. Rubio is not expected to have a hard time getting confirmed.
Rep. Elise Stefanik for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Trump’s nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations signals a ringing endorsement for the congresswoman to take her combative and confrontational public persona to the microphones at the U.N. She stands a strong chance of confirmation in a Republican-controlled Senate, especially because Democrats have also expressed frustrations with the United Nations.
The previous Trump administration ended support for the U.N. body providing aid for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA; pulled the U.S. out of the Human Rights Council; and initiated a withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Israeli officials and its mission to the U.N. welcomed Stefanik’s nomination, which requires Senate confirmation.
Mike Huckabee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Trump nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) as ambassador to Israel, a position that requires Senate confirmation. Huckabee is familiar to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the Netanyahu government. He’s a Christian evangelist who has led paid tours to Israel and supports religious and Jewish claims to the West Bank, rejected Palestinian claims to territory, and offered support for Israeli annexation.
If confirmed, Huckabee would likely shift U.S. policy to recognize Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law. He’d also likely seek to deepen those ties with public visits to these communities or establish business, education, or research partnerships with settlements, like policies carried out during the first Trump administration.
Steve Witkoff for Special Envoy to the Middle East
Steve Witkoff has been appointed as Special Envoy for the Middle East. Witkoff is a businessman, real estate developer, and close personal friend of the president-elect. It’s not clear what responsibilities Witkoff will have, but his greatest asset is viewed as his direct line to the president. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE and make us all proud,” Trump said announcing his appointment.
Volume 78. Number 4. 2024
