J Street applauds President-elect Biden’s nomination of Ambassador Samantha Power to serve as the next Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the decision to elevate this position to become a member of the National Security Council (NSC).

Throughout her distinguished career, Ambassador Power has proven herself to be a strong advocate for diplomacy, human rights and international law. She will help to revitalize US assistance programs around the world, repairing the damage caused by an administration that hollowed out our diplomatic efforts, violated important agreements and exacerbated humanitarian crises by slashing US aid to countries and peoples in desperate need of it. The elevation of Ambassador Power’s position to a role on the NSC is just the latest important sign that the Biden administration fully understands the critical importance of international relationship-building and development assistance as preferred tools of US foreign policy.

We look forward to working with Ambassador Power and lawmakers on the critical tasks of restoring robust humanitarian aid programs benefiting the Palestinian people — programs that were vindictively, unilaterally cut by the Trump administration, thereby harming Palestinians while undermining regional stability and Israeli security. The era of destructive bullying and contempt for the vulnerable is over; with senior-level hires like Ambassador Power, we begin a new era guided by a commitment to democratic values, common security and human rights.