Samantha Power: USAID Shutdown Is Devastating for America’s Reputation as a Country that Keeps Its Word

Mitchell Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ the former administrator for ░░░░░░░░ Samantha Power who is ░░░░░░░░ of course the former ░░░░░░░░ S ambassador to the ░░░░░░░░ Nations So thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for being with ░░░░░░░░ The secretary has said ░░░░░░░░ there was disruption that ░░░░░░░░ leadership was not cooperating ░░░░░░░░ they had to be ░░░░░░░░ And I m just ░░░░░░░░ also that you know ░░░░░░░░ s a litany of ░░░░░░░░ programs that many people ░░░░░░░░ discounted fact checkers But ░░░░░░░░ works in 120 countries ░░░░░░░░ talk to us about ░░░░░░░░ real consequences to this ░░░░░░░░ off POWER Well the ░░░░░░░░ consequences really can t ░░░░░░░░ overstated Right now with ░░░░░░░░ in 4 kids under ░░░░░░░░ in Sudan suffering from ░░░░░░░░ acute malnutrition there is ░░░░░░░░ food in warehouses that ░░░░░░░░ just sitting there because ░░░░░░░░ the stop work order ░░░░░░░░ because of the fact ░░░░░░░░ these programs have effectively ░░░░░░░░ halted There are exemptions ░░░░░░░░ lifesaving humanitarian aid that ░░░░░░░░ Rubio I think believes ░░░░░░░░ he has issued But ░░░░░░░░ laying off the entire ░░░░░░░░ that carries out these ░░░░░░░░ it s impossible to ░░░░░░░░ lifesaving assistance TB medicine ░░░░░░░░ thing We have images ░░░░░░░░ have just come in ░░░░░░░░ from Kinshasa people waiting ░░░░░░░░ line for TB medication ░░░░░░░░ you don t take ░░░░░░░░ medication and you re ░░░░░░░░ a regimen you build ░░░░░░░░ resistance and that medication ░░░░░░░░ much less effective down ░░░░░░░░ line Clinical trials where ░░░░░░░░ have enlisted volunteers all ░░░░░░░░ the world including in ░░░░░░░░ Saharan Africa to test ░░░░░░░░ remedies for cholera for ░░░░░░░░ for HIV for cervical ░░░░░░░░ remedies that could benefit ░░░░░░░░ American people as well ░░░░░░░░ time and those trials ░░░░░░░░ halted people sometimes having ░░░░░░░░ in their bodies or ░░░░░░░░ partially through a medical ░░░░░░░░ So it is just ░░░░░░░░ for American interests It ░░░░░░░░ devastating for America s ░░░░░░░░ as a country that ░░░░░░░░ its word And in ░░░░░░░░ of the USAID employees ░░░░░░░░ know because I left ░░░░░░░░ January 20th they were ░░░░░░░░ to serve They served ░░░░░░░░ the previous Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ stayed That administration did ░░░░░░░░ good in the world ░░░░░░░░ broad bipartisan support And ░░░░░░░░ what is so stunning ░░░░░░░░ them is that they ░░░░░░░░ being attacked and disowned ░░░░░░░░ their own government These ░░░░░░░░ people Andrea who didn ░░░░░░░░ come to USAID for ░░░░░░░░ money They came because ░░░░░░░░ were trying to improve ░░░░░░░░ world and advance America ░░░░░░░░ interests internationally Many of ░░░░░░░░ people being recalled from ░░░░░░░░ don t have homes ░░░░░░░░ the United States to ░░░░░░░░ back to They have ░░░░░░░░ who ve been enrolled ░░░░░░░░ school They ve put ░░░░░░░░ lives on the line ░░░░░░░░ 70 percent of USAID ░░░░░░░░ are in conflict or ░░░░░░░░ areas So these are ░░░░░░░░ easy places to work ░░░░░░░░ again these public servants ░░░░░░░░ their lives on the ░░░░░░░░ for our country And ░░░░░░░░ the same way that ░░░░░░░░ value rightly the men ░░░░░░░░ women who serve the ░░░░░░░░ States in uniform we ░░░░░░░░ value these civilians who ░░░░░░░░ done America s bidding ░░░░░░░░ so many difficult places.”