Obama Still Hasn't Appointed Leader to US Agency for International Development

by Mike Smith · 2009-11-08 17:36:00 UTC
Topics:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) still doesn't have a confirmed leader. Issues that need a full-time voice lack the volume necessary to really move the White Hosue. All five previous administrations appointed someone quicker than President Obama, and confirmation hearings need to happen within a month else USAID will have been left without an administrator for over year.

The Center for Global Development is appalled by the speed of the Obama Administration to appoint someone considering the huge importance of restoring America's standing in the world. Someone needs to be secure at the helm in order to fully consider how the US will execute its promises in global health, food security and even climate change/

A petition was started on Change.org back in August to get someone on board, but we still lack a leader. Back then we explained "An acting administrator just doesn't have the stature to guide the agency at a time of huge change for US foreign assistance." Now, nothing has changed, and the longer the post is left vacant, the more that international development will be neglected — it clearly isn't a priority at the moment and it should be.

Photo credit: US Army Africa

Mike Smith
PREVIOUS STORY:
A Crash Course in Palestinian Presidential Politics
NEXT STORY:
Campaign about Apple Factories in China Gains Wide and Diverse Support

COMMENTS (1)

    Comment Policy

    · All fields are required to comment.

    [X]

    Comments on Change.org are meant for further exploration and evaluation of the campaign on Change.org. To that end, we welcome constructive comments. However, we reserve the right to delete comments which, as determined solely in our discretion: (1) are offensive, abusive, or off-topic; (2) include content solely intended to personally attack the campaign creator, (3) are designed to subvert or hijack comment threads rather than contribute to them; and/or (4) violate our terms of service and/or privacy policy. Repeat offenders may be permanently removed from the site at our discretion. Please also be advised that: (A) we do not actively curate and/or monitor in any manner whatsoever the comments made on the Change.org platform, and (B) the creator of each campaign on Change.org may remove any comment at her/his/its discretion.