Political Quotes

“first I thank Senator Shaheen for her leadership on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and for her leadership with regard to the nomination of Gayle Smith to be the Administrator of USAID. This is the U.S. Agency for International Development. I mention that because we are talking about a national security position. Our national security depends on having a strong military, but it also depends upon having a strong position in international development assistance in dealing with our diplomacy. The director of USAID is a critical member of our national security team. We couldn't have a stronger person for that position than Gayle Smith. I wholeheartedly support her confirmation. I thank Senator Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for the manner in which this nomination has been brought forward. He has been a strong proponent of Gayle Smith, and I thank him very much for his help in getting this nomination to the floor. I said that I couldn't find a stronger person to fill this position. She is currently a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council, where she is responsible for global development, democracy, and humanitarian assistance issues. She was previously a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, cochair of the Enough Project, and the cofounder of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network.…”