House Republicans Support President's Strategy in Afghanistan, Pakistan
Press Release
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement on legislation introduced by House Republicans to authorize and support President Obama's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan:
"President Obama has listened to the commanders on the ground, and put forth a reasonable strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure that the brave men and women of our armed forces overseas have a path for success.
"To show support for the President's plan, Reps. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), John McHugh (R-NY), Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), and Peter King (R-NY) have introduced twin pieces of legislation that will authorize the funding levels for each country as requested by the President without hamstringing and micromanaging the day-to-day operations of our commanders.
These plans would also require the administration to submit an implementation plan to Congress to ensure sustainable progress. I hope that our colleagues, despite some reservation across the aisle, join us in swift and bipartisan passage of these bills to show support for the President, our military commanders, and our troops. I thank the sponsors for their leadership and their continued hard work on issues of vital importance to our national security."
NOTE: House Republicans today introduced two bills to authorize the President's strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Specifically, the legislation would:
Support the President's strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan that he outlined on March 27, 2009.
Authorize the resources the President requested and requires for Afghanistan.
Authorize $1.5 billion a year in foreign assistance aid to Pakistan. The legislation also authorizes the President's request for $700 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF) in Fiscal Year 2010.
Require the President to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to implement his strategy for long-term security and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan that includes measures of effectiveness.
Require the Administration, including the Departments of Defense and State, to regularly brief and notify Congress on the implementation of the President's strategy.
Source