Congress has not exactly had an impressive track record on confirmations for the past few years. So when Raj Shah stepped down as USAID Administrator in December 2014, many at CGD and elsewhere bemoaned the possibility of an empty top slot at the agency for the remainder of the administration. But President Obama and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee proved the cynics wrong by quickly appointing National Security Council Senior Director Gayle Smith and scheduling a nomination hearing this Wednesday, respectively. Six months is none too shabby as these things go. Of course, being voted out of Committee and then actually securing confirmation from the Senate might be a different story.
Here’s what I’ll be watching for at Wednesday’s hearing:
How will Smith seek to institutionalize Obama administration development initiatives?
Power Africa and Feed the Future are two key Obama development initiatives with potential bipartisan support for legislation. Yet, from the outside, the administration hasn’t placed as much of a priority on getting the initiatives into law. And legislation is pretty much a prerequisite for continued efforts in the next administration. Perhaps Smith will signal if the level of congressional engagement might change.
Smith is unlikely to be confirmed before the Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this July, but she could be leading USAID by the adoption of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals agenda in September. The likelihood of game-changing US commitments at Addis seems slim and neither global conference seems to have appeared on the congressional radar. Any signs otherwise would be welcome.
How do Smith and Members seem to be getting along?
As my colleague Casey Dunning previously pointed out, one of the most important characteristics of an Administrator is her ability to maintain current Congressional champions for USAID and to secure new ones. A nomination hearing provides an admittedly stilted perspective on this, but it’s a useful preview at least.
Will the Committee’s presidential candidates bother to show?
Candidates Marco Rubio and Rand Paul are both on SFRC. With Senator Rubio’s “robust commitment to transparent and effective foreign assistance programs” contrasting with Senator Paul’s defeated amendment to cut foreign aid spending as an offset for defense spending, the hearing could provide some early 2016 fireworks.
Regardless of what occurs, kudos to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for recognizing how critical it is to have a permanent Administrator and here’s hoping Smith has a smooth and speedy confirmation process.
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise.
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