U.S. Senate confirms Haley as Trump's
U.N. ambassador
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[January 25, 2017]
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate
voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to confirm South Carolina Governor
Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations, sending a rising
Republican star to represent President Donald Trump at an institution he
has criticized.
Haley was backed by 96 senators, with only four opposed.
She impressed lawmakers during her confirmation hearing this month.
Haley, 45, promised to press for U.N. reforms but also fight for human
rights and support international institutions, often breaking from
Trump's positions.
"American values that we all hold dear and want to promote around the
world are things that she has the ability to communicate and cares
deeply about," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob
Corker.
The "No" votes came from Democratic Senators Tom Udall, Chris Coons and
Martin Heinrich, and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses
with Democrats.
"Like many Americans, and many of our allies, I am concerned about
President Trump’s erratic statements and positions on foreign policy,
and that concern is only deepened by the fact that his nominee to be
ambassador to the United Nations has no real diplomatic experience,"
Udall said.
Haley has only held office in the state where she has been governor
since 2011.
The daughter of immigrants from India, Haley attracted national
attention in 2015 when she secured the removal of the Confederate battle
flag from South Carolina's capitol grounds after a white supremacist
killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston.
She did not endorse Trump during last year's presidential primaries and
has warned that some of his most inflammatory statements promoted hate.
During her confirmation hearing, Haley seconded criticism of the
193-nation organization by Trump and many of their fellow Republicans.
She called for a close look at U.S. spending on the United Nations and
blasted what she called its bias against Israel. Washington provides 22
percent of the U.N. budget.
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Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley testifies before a Senate
Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on her nomination
to be to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations at Capitol Hill in
Washington, U.S., January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The United States and its frequent rivals Russia and China all hold
permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, along with U.S. allies
Britain and France. Haley won plaudits at her hearing for promising to
stand up to Russia and agreeing that its actions, including bombing
hospitals in Syria, should be considered war crimes.
FOURTH CONFIRMED CABINET MEMBER
Haley was easily approved earlier on Tuesday by the 21-member Foreign
Relations Committee.
Haley is only the fourth confirmed member of Trump's Cabinet, joining
Defense Secretary James Mattis, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly
and Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo.
Unusually, Trump's pick for secretary of state was not confirmed before
his U.N. ambassador. His choice, former Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex
Tillerson, faced unanimous opposition from the 10 Foreign Relations
Committee Democrats after a confirmation hearing at which they said he
seemed poorly prepared.
The full, Republican-led Senate is expected to confirm Tillerson early
next week.
Haley is due to be sworn in on Wednesday. She is being succeeded as
South Carolina's governor by Republican Lieutenant Governor Henry
McMaster.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter
Cooney)
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