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US House panel OKs defence bill, limits Pakistan aid
AP
Yesterday
us congress, tps bill
Reflecting the frustration with Pakistan's effort in battling terrorism, the committee adopted an amendment that gives Congress even more power to review the spending. - Photo by Reuters.
WASHINGTON: The House Appropriations Committee has approved a defence spending bill that imposes limits on US aid to Pakistan and creates a special bipartisan group to review the US role in Afghanistan.
The panel gave the go-ahead to the bill on a voice vote Tuesday. The legislation would provide dollar 530 billion for the Defence Department and dollar 119 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill is dollar 9 billion less than President Barack Obama requested.
The bill would withhold 75 per cent of the dollar 1.1 billion in US aid to Pakistan until the administration reports to Congress on how it would spend the money. Reflecting the frustration with Pakistans effort in battling terrorism, the committee adopted an amendment that gives Congress even more power to review the spending.
---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------
Legislation endorsed: US panel seeks to limit Pakistan aid
By Agencies
Published: June 15, 2011
House of Representatives Appropriations Committee panel approved $649 billion in defense spending for the 2012 fiscal year, including $118 billion for wars abroad. PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
WASHINGTON:
A US House of Representatives panel on Tuesday approved a defence spending bill that would impose limits on American aid to Pakistan. The bill envisages the creation of a special bipartisan group to examine Washington’s future role in the decade-long war in Afghanistan.
The bill endorsed by the House Appropriations Committee would withhold 75 per cent of the $1.1 billion in US aid to Pakistan until the administration reports to Congress on how it would spend the money. The committee on Tuesday went a step further, adopting an amendment by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, that would give Congress 30 days to review the report before deciding whether the money should be spent.
Pakistan’s “performance or non-performance rubs a lot of people the wrong way,” Flake said. The panel approved the amendment by voice vote. Overall, the legislation will provide $530 billion to the Pentagon and $119 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. US President Barack Obama had requested for $9 billion more.
The bill provides the money for the military’s ships, aircraft, tanks and personnel, and largely tracks the defense blueprint that the House approved last month. Washington watchers said it reflects both the war fatigue even among the most hawkish lawmakers and the widespread doubts about Pakistan’s reliability in counter-terrorism. The US raid and killing of Osama bin Laden deep inside Pakistan has left many lawmakers questioning Islamabad’s eagerness and whether billions in American financial assistance is being wasted. With the Afghanistan war approaching its 10th year, sentiment is growing in Congress for the US to speed up the withdrawal of the 100,000 American troops in the country. The committee adopted an amendment by Rep Frank Wolf, R-Va., that would create an Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group, a bipartisan organisation to conduct an independent assessment of the conflict and US interests.
The group would be modelled on the Iraq Study Group.
In a fresh sign of the war weariness, Rep Norm Dicks of Washington state said the administration “has to accelerate the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.” Dicks said the question is whether the nation helps its citizens or “does nation building.”
“Although we are engaged in wars on several fronts, there is also a battle being waged at home — against skyrocketing, dangerous deficits,” said Rep Hal Rogers, R-Ky, chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.
AP
Yesterday
us congress, tps bill
Reflecting the frustration with Pakistan's effort in battling terrorism, the committee adopted an amendment that gives Congress even more power to review the spending. - Photo by Reuters.
WASHINGTON: The House Appropriations Committee has approved a defence spending bill that imposes limits on US aid to Pakistan and creates a special bipartisan group to review the US role in Afghanistan.
The panel gave the go-ahead to the bill on a voice vote Tuesday. The legislation would provide dollar 530 billion for the Defence Department and dollar 119 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill is dollar 9 billion less than President Barack Obama requested.
The bill would withhold 75 per cent of the dollar 1.1 billion in US aid to Pakistan until the administration reports to Congress on how it would spend the money. Reflecting the frustration with Pakistans effort in battling terrorism, the committee adopted an amendment that gives Congress even more power to review the spending.
---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------
Legislation endorsed: US panel seeks to limit Pakistan aid
By Agencies
Published: June 15, 2011
House of Representatives Appropriations Committee panel approved $649 billion in defense spending for the 2012 fiscal year, including $118 billion for wars abroad. PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
WASHINGTON:
A US House of Representatives panel on Tuesday approved a defence spending bill that would impose limits on American aid to Pakistan. The bill envisages the creation of a special bipartisan group to examine Washington’s future role in the decade-long war in Afghanistan.
The bill endorsed by the House Appropriations Committee would withhold 75 per cent of the $1.1 billion in US aid to Pakistan until the administration reports to Congress on how it would spend the money. The committee on Tuesday went a step further, adopting an amendment by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, that would give Congress 30 days to review the report before deciding whether the money should be spent.
Pakistan’s “performance or non-performance rubs a lot of people the wrong way,” Flake said. The panel approved the amendment by voice vote. Overall, the legislation will provide $530 billion to the Pentagon and $119 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. US President Barack Obama had requested for $9 billion more.
The bill provides the money for the military’s ships, aircraft, tanks and personnel, and largely tracks the defense blueprint that the House approved last month. Washington watchers said it reflects both the war fatigue even among the most hawkish lawmakers and the widespread doubts about Pakistan’s reliability in counter-terrorism. The US raid and killing of Osama bin Laden deep inside Pakistan has left many lawmakers questioning Islamabad’s eagerness and whether billions in American financial assistance is being wasted. With the Afghanistan war approaching its 10th year, sentiment is growing in Congress for the US to speed up the withdrawal of the 100,000 American troops in the country. The committee adopted an amendment by Rep Frank Wolf, R-Va., that would create an Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group, a bipartisan organisation to conduct an independent assessment of the conflict and US interests.
The group would be modelled on the Iraq Study Group.
In a fresh sign of the war weariness, Rep Norm Dicks of Washington state said the administration “has to accelerate the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.” Dicks said the question is whether the nation helps its citizens or “does nation building.”
“Although we are engaged in wars on several fronts, there is also a battle being waged at home — against skyrocketing, dangerous deficits,” said Rep Hal Rogers, R-Ky, chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 15th, 2011.
