9 Months, 21 Days Without a USAID Nominee |
UPDATE, Nov 10, 2009: President Obama today nominated Rajiv Shah to head the U.S. Agency for International Development. Read InterAction President & CEO Samuel Worthington's statement on the nomination.
Eight months into the Obama administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) still lacks a nominee to lead the agency. Frustrated by the lack of appointed leadership at USAID, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IN) sent a letter to President Obama on September 22, 2009 urging the nomination of a USAID Administrator. According to the senators, the "leadership vacuum" at USAID is hampering efforts to support a bold foreign assistance reform and development agenda.
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been monitoring the process for months and, like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are disappointed with the lack of progress. As noted by Sarah Jane Staats, Deputy Director of Outreach and Policy at the Center for Global Development, on her organization’s blog this spring, USAID administrators have been nominated and confirmed by the beginning of May in the previous five presidential administrations.
NPR Interview: Vacancy At Helm Of U.S. Aid Agency Spurs Concerns
(Interview with InterAction President & CEO Samuel Worthington and Mercy Corps President Nancy Lindborg.)
