The U.S. Senate confirmed Gayle Smith to lead the U.S. Agency for International Development as its administrator on Monday.
Smith, formerly special assistant to U.S. President Barack Obama and senior director for development and democracy at the U.S. National Security Council, will now a direct a $22 billion bilateral aid effort — the largest in the world — staffed by roughly 4,000 government officials, in partnership with thousands of implementing organizations and grantees.
Smith’s confirmation hearing came seven months after she first sailed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. Despite the long delay — which had many wondering whether Smith would be confirmed at all before time runs out on the Obama administration — the Senate voted 79-7 in the foreign aid veteran’s favor. Among the seven senators to vote against her, all of whom were Republicans, was presidential primary contender Rand Paul of Kentucky.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
