Politics Biden picks Samantha Power to lead USAID

President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate former Ambassador Samantha Power as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the federal agency charged with distributing billions of dollars in foreign aid.

© Bebeto Matthews/ AP Photo United States U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power speaks during her final press conference, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 at U.N. headquarters.

Power, a former war correspondent who served on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council, was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2013-2017.

Power was an influential voice on matters of foreign policy during Obama’s second term, including the negotiation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Biden builds out Cabinet with choices for Commerce and Labor secretaries

When Biden announces these choices, he will have named his choices to lead all of the federal departments. But his Cabinet still awaits choices such as who will lead the CIA. The Commerce Department handles a variety of functions. One of the most prominent now is the census, which happens every 10 years to reapportion House seats in Congress by population, and carries implications for how federal money is distributed. The 2020 census has been mired in controversy for years because of disputes about who should be counted.

US President-elect Joe Biden says he will nominate Obama-era UN ambassador Samantha Power as his administrator of USAID , the anti-poverty agency that delivers humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries around the world. The Biden transition said Ms Power was a “ leading voice for humane

Biden Picks Samantha Power to Head U .S. Aid Agency . By. In addition to Power , Biden added three other people to the NSC. He restored some roles and established a new position of deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, which will be filled by Anne Neuberger.

Highly regarded within the Democratic Party for her diplomatic chops, it was widely expected that she would land a role in Biden’s administration.

In a statement, Biden praised Power as a “world-renowned voice of conscience and moral clarity,” and nodded to their time together in the Obama administration.

“I know firsthand the unparalleled knowledge and tireless commitment to principled American engagement she brings to the table,” Biden said, “and her expertise and perspective will be essential as our country reasserts its role as a leader on the world stage.”

Biden also announced that he would elevate the USAID administrator to have a seat at his White House’s National Security Council, which will be led by national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Power joins a team of incoming foreign policy officials that includes Antony Blinken as secretary of State, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the U.N. and John Kerry as special presidential envoy for climate.

Biden has relied heavily on former diplomats to fill out his administration, underscoring his commitment to rebuilding historic alliances that have weakened under President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Biden announced that he would nominate William Burns, a former deputy secretary of State and career foreign service officer, as CIA director.