Key Takeaways
- •The committee vetted five nominees, including John Breslow (Ambassador to Cyprus), focusing on accelerating arms sales to Taiwan and implementing "America First" reforms across the United Nations system.
- •Griffith (U.S. Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations) pledged to hold Iran accountable at the IAEA and support maximum pressure efforts through multilateral channels.
- •Sen. Van Hollen (D-MD) questioned Griffith on Iran’s past JCPOA compliance, while Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) pressed White (Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs) on pending Taiwan arms notifications.
- •Republicans urged faster weapon deliveries to counter China, whereas Democrats expressed concern over the administration using emergency authorities to bypass congressional review for arms sales to Middle Eastern partners.
- •These nominees will lead the administration's efforts to reform international organizations and streamline the defense industrial base to ensure the U.S. remains the global partner of choice.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
This hearing served as a confirmation platform for five nominees appointed to critical diplomatic and national security positions. The proceedings focused on advancing "America First" foreign policy objectives, specifically regarding the modernization of the foreign military sales (FMS) system, the reform of United Nations (UN) institutions, and the strengthening of strategic partnerships in the Eastern Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific. The testimony highlighted a shift toward more aggressive competition with the People's Republic of China and a "maximum pressure" approach toward the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Key Testimony & Policy
John Breslow, the nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus, emphasized his role as the first political appointee to the post, signaling a deepening bilateral relationship. He committed to prioritizing the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 and maintaining Cyprus's compliance with anti-money laundering standards to prevent Russian sanctions evasion. Breslow also highlighted the importance of the Cyprus Center for Land, Open Seas and Port Security (CYCLOPS), a regional training hub supported by the U.S.
Mr. White, nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, addressed the significant backlog in arms deliveries to Taiwan. He discussed the implementation of several executive orders aimed at reforming the FMS process for speed and accountability, including the "America First" arms transfer strategy. White noted that while the State Department and Congress are often blamed for delays, the primary bottlenecks frequently reside within the industrial base and the acquisition process. He also discussed the AUKUS framework, noting that approximately 80% of defense trade with the United Kingdom and Australia is now covered by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) exemptions.
Mr. Steggerda, nominated to represent the U.S. at UN organizations in Geneva, and Mr. Griffith, nominated for the UN Vienna office and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), both focused on institutional reform. Steggerda argued that technical agencies have become overly politicized and pledged to counter China’s efforts to embed its technology into international standards. Griffith emphasized holding Iran accountable to its IAEA safeguards under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and ensuring that UN bodies return to their core technical mandates.
Mr. Cassady, the nominee for Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, outlined a strategy to protect American intellectual property and infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of the AI Action Plan and Tech Prosperity Deals, arguing that digital infrastructure like subsea cables and semiconductors are as strategically vital as traditional sea lanes.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
The hearing featured sharp exchanges regarding the U.S. approach to Iran. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) challenged Mr. Griffith on the history of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), noting that the first Trump administration had previously certified Iranian compliance. Griffith remained hesitant to confirm this, leading to a tense moment where Sen. Van Hollen emphasized the intrusive nature of the previous monitoring regime. Similarly, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pressed Griffith to state unequivocally that Iran has "zero right to enrich" uranium under the NPT, criticizing "Foggy Bottom" for a lack of clarity.
Partisan differences also emerged regarding international engagement. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) expressed concern that withdrawing from UN bodies, such as the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), creates a vacuum that China is eager to fill. She questioned Mr. Steggerda on which organizations the administration might withdraw from next, though he declined to provide a specific list, citing an ongoing review.
The backlog of arms to Taiwan was a point of bipartisan concern. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Sen. Shaheen both questioned the status of roughly $14 billion in pre-approved sales. Sen. Ricketts promoted his "Porcupine Act," which would place Taiwan in the "NATO Plus" category to accelerate delivery timelines. Mr. White committed to advocating for the removal of pauses on these sales within his chain of command.
Organizations Mentioned
* **Republic of Cyprus:** Discussed as a strategic partner in the Eastern Mediterranean; the U.S. is focused on its anti-money laundering efforts and its role in regional security via the CYCLOPS center. * **International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):** Identified as the primary watchdog for Iranian nuclear activity; nominees were urged to ensure the agency remains technical rather than political. * **United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC):** Described by Republican members as a "broken institution" from which the U.S. rightfully withdrew. * **NVIDIA Corporation:** Mentioned by Sen. Shaheen in the context of whether high-level semiconductors should be exported to China, citing concerns over giving the PRC a technological jump-start. * **AUKUS:** The trilateral security partnership between the U.S., UK, and Australia; discussed regarding the need to streamline ITAR exemptions for "Pillar Two" advanced technology sharing. * **CYCLOPS:** A U.S.-funded training hub in Cyprus used to build partner capacity in detecting the smuggling of weapons and radioactive materials. * **Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP):** The newly reorganized State Department bureau tasked with managing AI policy, undersea infrastructure, and international tech standards.
What's Next
The committee record remains open until the close of business on April 17, 2026, for members to submit additional questions for the record. The nominees, if confirmed, will be tasked with implementing the "America First" arms transfer strategy and conducting a system-wide review of U.S. participation in UN agencies. A planned trip by the President to China was mentioned as a significant upcoming diplomatic event that may influence the timing of arms sale notifications to Taiwan.
Transcript
The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee will come to order. Today we have a panel of five nominees to serve the United States of America. We welcome all of you to our hearing today and your families who are as important as you are, we find out in these jobs. For everyone here in the audience, we welcome you. We have obviously, this is an open hearing and we welcome everyone here, but again, we have zero tolerance in the hearing for anyone who disrupts. And if they do, the usual consequences will apply. But again, thank you all for being here today and particularly to your families. We will start with Mr. Breslow. Confirmed, you will be the first political, non-career appointee to serve as Ambassador to Cyprus, which demonstrates a historic advancement in our relationship with Cyprus. Cyprus is a key partner in the Eastern Mediterranean and a critical crossroads between Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Today, I hope to hear how you will work with the government of Cyprus on our shared interests in security, trade, energy, and more. Mr. White, your nomination comes at a time when the United States faces threats across multiple regions. In this environment, the U.S. needs to quickly provide weapons and supplies to allies and partners, scale up production, and make sure that our foreign military sales system can work quickly and at scale. The U.S. must remain the partner of choice in an era of intense competition for arms sales and security partnerships. I hope to hear how you plan to work with this committee to vigorously implement President Trump's executive orders to make the items I have identified a reality. Arms sales are often a cornerstone of our strategic alliance and partnership, and we cannot let the bureaucratic process drive our partners toward Russia and China. Mr. Steggerda, our President Trump has made clear that he believes the UN can be reformed and returned back to basics. I too want to see reform, but it must be done in good faith and it must be done in a system-wide with individuals held accountable for its failures. Today we are considering you for the seat at our mission in Geneva, one of the global UN hubs. This position also previously represented the U.S. at the UN Human Rights Council, but now the President Trump has rightfully withdrawn us from this broken institution. It is my hope that you will be able to spend all of your effort reforming the agencies you will work with in Geneva. Mr. Griffith, you have been nominated to serve as both United States Representative to the Vienna Office of the United Nations as United States Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency. If confirmed, you will lead an important portfolio with significant national security considerations for the United States. Anyone who has not visited that office should do so. It is really important to the United States and it is important that it is well led. Following President Trump's call for reform across the UN system, Ambassador Waltz and his team in New York have made real progress and I am looking forward to see the same in your post if confirmed. I also look forward to hearing how you will capitalize on the administration's efforts to ensure the United Nations in Vienna and also in Geneva are worthy of continued American support. Mr. Cassidy, as Ambassador for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, you will lead the Cyber and Digital Policy Bureau's efforts to promote policies that advance American cyber innovation and leadership, work with allies to align technology standards to advance shared interests and counter competitors like China, and bolster ally capacity to respond to cyber threats. You will now also be responsible for CDP's expanded science and tech mission as a result of the recent State Department reorganization. You will play a major role in advancing key Trump administration policies like the AI Action Plan, Tech Prosperity Deals, security of undersea infrastructure, and many others. I look forward to hearing how you will work with your counterparts in the administration to address these threats. Again, thank you to all of our nominees and at this point, I usually turn to the ranking member. She is in a very important meeting that she cannot get out of right now, will be along in a little bit, and if she wishes to make an opening statement either verbally or put in the record, we will take that at that time. In the meantime, Mr. Breslow, let's start with you. Each of you... What's that? Do I get to do an introduction? I didn't know you were going to do an introduction. I'm doing an introduction. You're going to introduce me? No, no, no. I'm going to introduce Mr. Breslow. Please. Great. It gives the ranking member time to get here too. That's true.
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