On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) introduced Montgomery native Lynda "Lindy" Blanchard to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as hearings began for her to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome.
Blanchard has been aligned with Trump since his first term in office. Trump selected her to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia in 2018, and she was confirmed by the Senate in 2019.
After resigning when Trump failed to win a second term in 2020, Blanchard briefly sought a spot on the U.S. Senate before dropping out to run for Alabama governor, coming in second to incumbent Kay Ivey in the 2022 Republican primary.
Trump announced Blanchard for the ambassadorship in March. On Wednesday, Britt presented Blanchard in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, where her appointment to the post will be decided.
"When I was president of the Business Council of Alabama, I had the opportunity to travel to Slovenia and see her (serve as ambassador) firsthand. She is a force of nature," Britt said. "We know the challenges we have in front of us across the globe, and there is no one more prepared to meet those than her. Lynda has a proven record of international experience and leadership, and she is ready to translate that longtime service in food, agriculture, and hunger issues to excel in this position. I have absolute confidence in her ability to strengthen international efforts to address food security and advanced agriculture development and U.S.-led initiatives."
Assuming Blanchard is confirmed in her new position as ambassador, she will serve as a link between the U.S. Government and Rome-based international organizations, such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
As the largest contributor to the UN system worldwide, the United States ensures that the organizations are well run and that their activities complement and enhance U.S. national and foreign policy objectives.
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