US Foreign Aid Becomes Political Pickle (Al Jazeera)

From the article: At a time when there is a dire need for assistance in Europe and the Middle East to counter the refugee crisis in Syria, the US government's main international aid agency is a ship without a captain thanks to a Republican presidential hopeful who's blocking the White House's nominee for the job.

And, according to a US government source, there is no end in sight in spite of negotiations to end the impasse.

Critics say Republican attempts to block Gayle Smith, US President Barack Obama's nominee to head the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are weakening the American response to humanitarian crises in places like Syria and Ukraine.

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