Note: This is the post #21 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here.
Cabinet position: U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Department: U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) at the State Department
Current Ambassador: Nikki R. Haley
Department Mission: “The U.S. Mission to the United Nations (USUN) serves as the United States’ delegation to the United Nations. USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation’s participation in the world body.” (Source)
Number of employees: Approximately 150
Primary Duties of the Secretary: Serves as the primary ambassador of the U.S. to the UN and the main representative of the U.S. on the Security Council of the United Nations.
Ambassador Info
Ambassador: Nikki R. Haley
Previous occupation: Governor of South Carolina (2011-2017)
Education: B.S. in accounting from Clemson University
Previous government experience: State representative and Governor of South Carolina
Religious Affiliation: Methodist
Notable achievements:
• Author of the autobiography, Can’t Is Not an Option: My American Story.
• Was the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina (and the second Indian-American, after Bobby Jindal, to serve as governor.
• In 2016, she was included in Time Magazines’ “The 100 Most Influential People.”
Notable quotes:
On politicians and their religion: “I don’t think we should focus on what church that person walks into … I think we need to focus on what they do when they walk out of church.”
On public trust in America’s leadership: “The foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth hasn’t gone anywhere. It still exists. It is up to us to return to it.”
On religious liberty: “[If Republicans held the White House] We would respect differences in modern families, but we would also insist on respect for religious liberty as a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Previous and forthcoming posts in this series: Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Homeland Security, White House Chief of Staff, U.S. Trade Representative, Director of National Intelligence, Representative of the United States to the United Nations, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Administrator of the Small Business Administration
