U.S. Senator Mike Lee called on Mar. 26 for the United States to veto Dr. Michelle Bachelet’s nomination as United Nations Secretary General, citing concerns about her record on abortion and state sovereignty.
Lee, along with a coalition of senators and representatives, sent a letter outlining their opposition to Bachelet’s candidacy, arguing that her history shows strong support for abortion as a human right and actions that they say override national policies through intimidation and coercion.
The letter states: “With deep concern, we note the nomination of Dr. Michelle Bachelet to be the next United Nations Secretary General (UNSG). In her previous roles with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as Executive Director of UN Women, and as President of Chile, Dr. Bachelet has repeatedly prioritized an extreme abortion agenda at the expense of state sovereignty.” The signatories further said that “the United States, as a permanent member of the Security Council, should veto Dr. Bachelet’s selection.”
The letter references remarks from Ambassador Dorothy Shea in October 2025 about returning the UN to its founding purpose and prioritizing accountability and transparency while respecting state sovereignty. It claims that “Dr. Bachelet’s previous promotion of an extreme abortion agenda suggests that… she would continue the UN practice of engaging in ‘the propagation of divisive ideologies that undermine national sovereignty.’”
Bachelet’s tenure at OHCHR is criticized in the letter for opposing pro-life policies in response to the Supreme Court Dobbs decision in June 2022 and promoting what Lee calls “a radical abortion agenda” internationally. The authors also cite her time leading UN Women from 2010-2013 and presidency in Chile where she advocated changes to pro-life laws.
Lee has championed constitutional principles and individual liberty as a U.S. senator according to his official website. He serves Utah on several committees focused on these issues, promotes limited government and free markets, clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., received degrees from Brigham Young University, grew up in Provo as a fourth-generation Utahn, and is son of legal scholar Rex E. Lee according to his official biography.
Joining Lee are Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jim Banks (R-IN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Todd Young (R-IN) along with more than twenty House members who signed onto this effort.
The broader implication is a renewed debate over U.S participation in international organizations when policy differences arise over sensitive topics like abortion rights versus national autonomy.
