Why It Matters
Congressional participation at the United Nations General Assembly rests on executive discretion, not legal mandate, a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report released September 18 found. The timing matters: the 81st UNGA session opens September 22, and the report's findings come as lawmakers prepare for High-Level Week, the annual gathering where nations present their priorities.
The President retains full authority to appoint U.S. representatives to the UNGA. While Congress can recommend candidates, the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 does not require the President to include any lawmakers at all. This legal gap means that bipartisan tradition, not statute, sustains the practice of sending congressional delegations each year.
For the administration, it is a question of flexibility in shaping how America presents itself at the world's largest diplomatic forum.
The Big Picture
The practice of including Members of Congress in UNGA delegations dates to the first Assembly session in 1946, when both Senate and House members participated. The tradition has continued nearly uninterrupted for almost 80 years, with the President typically appointing one Democrat and one Republican as congressional representatives, alternating each year between chambers.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee each play formal roles in the selection process. The Senate committee's chairperson and ranking member choose representatives from among SFRC members and transmit their selections to the President for nomination. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a policy of not holding confirmation hearings for these positions. The House committee provides selections to the President but lacks a formal selection process on the scale of its Senate counterpart.
The President has occasionally declined to appoint congressional representatives to the UNGA historically. Because the United Nations Participation Act (UNPA) does not require congressional participation, the President has full discretion over whether to include lawmakers in delegations.
The Bottom Line
No law forces the President's hand. As the 81st session convenes, that distinction between practice and mandate becomes relevant for any administration weighing how to staff its UN delegation.
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