Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is a 2 out of 5 on the Swamp-O-Meter. She’s been a politician for more than 10 years and among her greatest accomplishments is a South Carolina voter ID law that that was deemed racially discriminatory by the U.S. Department of Justice. That’s some solid swamp!
3 reasons why Gov. Nikki Haley shouldn’t be the U.S. ambassador to the U.N.
- Nikki Haley’s foreign policy experience summed up: traveled abroad a few times and no to Syrian refugees in SC.
Haley is the South Carolina governor and has little to no foreign policy experience (à la Sarah Palin, who’s actually big Haley fan). She has limited international experience that only extends to having traveled abroad a few times and requesting that the U.S. Department of State not resettle Syrian refugees in South Carolina.
Although Haley didn’t join several other Republican governors in suing President Barack Obama to block resettlement, she wasn’t exactly happy about it and joined 30 governors in asking the federal government to not resettle Syrians in their states, citing vetting concerns. She told Secretary of State John Kerry, “it’s not appropriate for them to be sent to South Carolina or any other state.” Her “safety and security” concerns—despite the federal government’s rigorous vetting process that can take up to two years—do not align with the United Nations’ humanitarian ideals.
- Under Nikki Haley, the SC Dept. of Natural Resources once tried to suppress climate change report that warned of big impacts.
Though Haley is not a full-fledged climate denier, South Carolina newspaper The State reported in February 2013 that an official assessment outlined by state scientists was buried and barred from release, apparently due to political pressure.
The report warned of the major impacts that South Carolina would suffer due to climate change. The assessment was authored by a group of scientist under the auspices of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, whose agency director wanted to release the report but resigned under pressure from Nikki Haley’s administration.
Haley’s climate debacle and her appointment to a team that includes climate deniers and advocates for the United States’ withdrawal from the landmark Paris Agreement are very concerning.
- Did you know Haley won a CAP Action Academy Award for Voter Suppression? She passed a photo ID law that affected 10 precincts.
While Haley criticized Trump for his impulsive behavior, she’s no stranger to problematic deeds. She signed South Carolina’s photo ID law in 2011, stating, “If you can show a picture to get on an airplane, you should be able to show a picture ID to [vote].”
In December 2011, the U.S. Justice Department rejected the law as discriminatory under preclearance requirements—the first time in nearly 20 years that the federal government blocked a voter identification law. In January 2012, South Carolina sued the Justice Department for interfering with the law, and a three-judge panel later agreed to approve the law for implementation in 2013 with the addition of a “reasonable impediment” provision. An Associated Press analysis found the new ID requirement particularly affected African American voters—including 10 precincts in which almost every voter affected belongs to a community of color.
It’s no wonder CAP Action awarded Haley with Best Actress Academy Award for Voter Suppression.