Senate confirms Samantha Power as USAID administrator

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Samantha Power as the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development after a 68-26 vote, with several Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues in backing President Biden's nominee.

Power is a familiar face in Washington, having served as former President Barack Obama's ambassador to the United Nations during the majority of his second term in the White House. In addition to her duties running USAID, The Hill reports, Power is expected to have a spot the White House National Security Council, which she also served on during Obama's first term before she took on the U.N. role.

While Power ultimately received more than enough votes for confirmation, she did face more Republican opposition this time around than in 2013, when she breezed through the Senate on the back of a 87-10 vote. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), who has not voted for Power either time, said Wednesday that her tenure as U.N. ambassador was "deeply problematic" because of the role she played in the Iran nuclear negotiations, and the fact that U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which stated Israel's settlements violated international law, passed while she held the office, although the U.S. abstained from the vote. Read more at The Hill.

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