U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks at this morning's Committee business meeting calling for the confirmation of the Honorable Samantha Power to serve as Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Ambassador Power's nomination was approved by voice vote and now moves to the Floor for confirmation by the full Senate.
"As I stated at her hearing, I believe Ambassador Power's prodigious public service experience and her dedication to the advancement of humanitarian principles make her impeccably qualified to be the next Administrator of USAID. Upon confirmation, I trust that she will appropriately prioritize and elevate this indispensable and often overlooked development arm of U.S. foreign policy," Chairman Menendez said. "I am confident that Ambassador Power has the capacity and the capability to address these issues, and I am pleased by her commitment, if confirmed, to engage in frequent and open consultation with Congress."