U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley Nimrata (Nikki) HaleyCheer the US exit from UN Human Rights Council — but demand more Israel scales back work with UN Human Rights Council after US exit On The Money — Sponsored by Prudential — Trump floats tariffs on European cars | Nikki Haley slams UN report on US poverty | Will tax law help GOP? It's a mystery MORE on Thursday dismissed a poverty report by the United Nations, saying it’s “ridiculous” for the intergovernmental body to analyze American poverty.
“It is patently ridiculous for the United Nations to examine poverty in America,” Haley said in a letter to Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersA case for open borders and how it can boost the world economy Sen. Sanders: 'Hypocrite' Trump rants against undocumented immigrants, but hires them at his properties On The Money — Sponsored by Prudential — Trump floats tariffs on European cars | Nikki Haley slams UN report on US poverty | Will tax law help GOP? It's a mystery MORE (I-Vt.).
“The Special Rapporteur wasted the UN’s time and resources, deflecting attention from the world’s worst human rights abusers and focusing instead on the wealthiest and freest country in the world.”
Sanders, along with several Democratic lawmakers in both chambers, earlier this month sent a letter to Haley asking her to show President Trump Donald John TrumpGOP lawmakers preparing to vote on bill allowing migrant children to be detained longer than 20 days: report Wasserman Schultz: Infants separated from their parents are in Florida immigrant shelters Ex-White House ethics chief: Sarah Sanders tweet violates ethics laws MORE the conclusions of the report published by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
The report blamed poverty in the United States on politics.
“At the end of the day, however, particularly in a rich country like the United States, the persistence of extreme poverty is a political choice made by those in power,” the report reads. “With political will, it could readily be eliminated.”
The report said American democracy "is being steadily undermined" and provided several suggestions for how to alleviate poverty in the U.S. The recommendations said American citizens must realize taxes "are in their interest" and that the U.S. "must recognize a right to health care."
Sanders and the other Democrats called upon the Trump administration to provide Congress with a strategy to act on suggestions made in the United Nations report.
But Haley in her response to Sanders slammed the report as “misleading and politically motivated.”
“The report categorically misstated the progress the United States has made in addressing poverty and purposely used misleading facts and figures in its biased reporting,” Haley wrote.
“There is no question that poverty in America remains a serious concern, but it does no one any good to inaccurately describe its prevalence or its causes.”
Sanders quickly responded to Haley, saying he believes “it is totally appropriate” for the United Nations to publish a report on poverty in America.
“I hope you will agree that in a nation in which the top three people own more wealth than the bottom half, we can and must do much better than that,” Sanders wrote in his reply.
The senator told Haley he’d “love the opportunity” to talk to her about poverty when he is in New York.
ReichSmasher2018 on June 25th, 2018 at 01:09 UTC »
It is worrying that 40% of the American population cannot spare 400 dollars for emergencies.
readet on June 25th, 2018 at 00:46 UTC »
Man, being in some of the ghettos in the U.S. is actually really sad. Often times these areas are located close/adjacent to vibrant city centres. It is not right that a country as wealthy as the U.S. has conditions that match the third world all over the country and everyone just ignores it...
me2300 on June 24th, 2018 at 23:39 UTC »
I love how she doesn't contest the conclusions of the report. Her only problem is she feels that the USA is above criticism. The arrogance is astounding.