[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GREGG:
  S. 917. A bill provide assistance to Pakistan under certain 
conditions, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation that 
provides the President with extraordinary, but critical authority under 
section 451 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 with respect to 
assistance for Pakistan.
  Specifically, the bill allows the President to reprogram up to 
$500,000,000 of previously appropriated foreign operations funds for 
assistance for Pakistan if the President determines that it is in the 
vital national security interests of the U.S. to do so.
  The President must still report promptly to Congress on the exercise 
of this authority, and it is my expectation--although not legally 
binding--that reprogrammed funds will be reimbursed in subsequent 
annual or supplemental appropriations bills.
  Extended until September 30, 2010, this authority is required because 
of the increasingly dire situation in Pakistan and alarming news 
reports of territorial gains by extremists. While I do not pretend to 
have the answers to Pakistan's myriad challenges, I do know that the 
administration lacks the necessary authority to reprogram significant 
funds to respond to further political and economic deterioration in 
that country. Should the government of Pakistani President Zardari 
collapse, the administration will need maximum flexibility in its 
response.
  I can anticipate some may have a knee jerk reaction to the provision 
of such extraordinary authority. In response, I would remind my 
colleagues that regardless of their opinions of Pakistan's messy 
political situation, events in Pakistan directly impact Afghanistan--
and our troops on the ground there.
  Of course, this is in addition to the impact that destabilization 
would have on Pakistan's nuclear complex, specifically the combination 
of dozens of nuclear weapons, untested security systems, and a surplus 
of Islamic militants in the area. These issues are at the forefront of 
our security interests in the region and would exacerbate exponentially 
the impact of destabilization.
  It might interest my colleagues to know that current law limits 
section 451 reprogram authority to $25,000,000. In contrast, the 
supplemental budget request seeks $4,000,000,000 in special transfer 
authority for the Department of Defense to meet emerging requirements. 
Surely, the State Department should also have increased flexibility to 
react promptly to the economic and security needs of Pakistan should 
the worst case scenario transpire.
  I urge the relevant Committee to consider and act upon this 
legislation quickly.
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