Senate panel hears Warren Stephens’ nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom

Warren Stephens, the president of Stephens Inc., appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as President Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, telling senators he would advance the administration’s policy and work to strengthen trade and defense ties between the two countries.

Stephens said he would "advance the America First agenda throughout The United Kingdom" and favor a post-Brexit U.S.-U.K. trade agreement that leverages both countries’ capital markets. He told the committee the United Kingdom is a major bilateral economic partner and pledged to press U.K. officials to ensure Americans receive "the full benefit of this partnership."

The nomination hearing highlighted why the post matters. The U.K. remains a leading NATO contributor, a partner on AUKUS and a key participant in intelligence-sharing arrangements such as the Five Eyes alliance. Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen and other senators pressed Stephens on plans to protect and deepen those security relationships and on the delivery of foreign military sales.

"I will be the ambassador," Stephens said when asked how his role would coordinate with Mark Burnett, a special envoy the White House has also named for U.K.-related work. "I am nominated to be the ambassador. And I'm confident that I can work with really all of the embassy, in the U.K. and ... special envoy Burnett, to further the U.S. agenda and the president's agenda."

Senators also raised AUKUS — the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. — and asked whether Stephens would press to reduce technology-transfer obstacles under rules such as ITAR to speed cooperation. Stephens called AUKUS "great potential" and identified export-control processes as one hurdle, saying he had reviewed unclassified material and would defer to classified briefings after confirmation.

Committee members asked about the Five Eyes intelligence partnership and whether allies had curtailed information-sharing. Stephens said he was not aware of allies scaling back intelligence sharing but said he would work to reassure partners and strengthen those links. He also declined to comment on classified matters in public testimony and pledged to cooperate with committee requests about outstanding issues, including questions the committee raised about his tax materials.

On Ukraine, Stephens said ending the fighting quickly and equitably should be a priority and that U.K. leadership on reconstruction talks and military assistance has been consequential. He also pointed to possible commercial opportunities — including life-science collaboration and renewed mineral development in parts of the U.K. — as areas for greater private- sector investment.

The committee did not take an immediate confirmation vote. Senators said the record would remain open for additional materials and questions for the nominees.

Less-critical details discussed during the hearing included Stevens Inc.'s profile: Stephens described the company as a relationship-based investment firm with more than 1,000 employees in 28 domestic and international offices, and he noted family philanthropic initiatives in Arkansas that include museum fundraising.