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Bread for the World welcomes the nomination today of Gayle Smith as the new administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It urges the Senate to confirm Smith’s appointment soon.

“I expect the Senate to move quickly to approve Gayle Smith’s appointment. It’s important to the implementation of urgently needed aid programs, and global poverty is an issue on which Congress and the president are on the same page,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World.

Prior to her nomination by President Obama, Smith served as his special assistant and senior director of the National Security Council. She brings a wealth of experience to USAID. She was a co-founder of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN), which works to make aid more effective and transparent.

“Though the world is making unprecedented progress against hunger and poverty, violence and natural disasters have created huge humanitarian needs in some countries. It’s important to our national security, as well as to our souls, both to help the victims and support the wonderful progress that is underway,” said Beckmann. “Gayle Smith has helped to shape the Obama administration’s international policies and strategies and will provide continuity in their implementation.”

Prior to joining the administration, Smith was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. She held senior positions in the Clinton administration. She also lived and worked in Africa for 20 years, where she was a journalist and worked for non-governmental relief and development organizations.