US Senate confirms Nikki Haley as UN envoy

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as the U.S.'s UN envoy despite her dearth of foreign policy experience.

Haley was easily confirmed earlier in the day by a Senate Panel, setting her up for the full chamber vote.

The 96-4 vote saw wide support from both parties. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders joined with three Democrats in dissent.

Those who opposed her nomination largely did so because of Haley’s lack of foreign policy experience. Prior to being nominated by Trump in November, Haley had worked only in state politics as a member of South Carolina's House of Representatives before its governor.

Democratic Chris Coons told CNN he opposed Haley's nomination because "she frankly will be one of the least experienced UN ambassadors in American history and I just felt it was important to vote based on her qualifications.

Still, others pointed to her career in state-level politics as a valuable resource in promoting America's interests abroad.

"The United Nations is at a place where we need a real driven person who cares about our national interests but also has the ability to break through the clutter and pursue reform," Republican Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said in a statement in which he said he was "pleased" to support her nomination.

"She has worked with legislators to bring people together to make that happen in her own state," he added.