[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7036-S7037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                            Aid to Pakistan

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I want to speak on the record in support 
of the Kerry-Lugar legislation that was passed by this body basically 
without objection--by voice vote. It went through so quickly, to me it 
demonstrates the power of the bill, and so I want to congratulate 
Senator Kerry and Senator Lugar for this piece of legislation.
  To the public, what I am talking about is an aid package to Pakistan 
of I think it is over $1.5 billion a year for the next 5 years. I know 
we need money here at home. Trust me, in South Carolina we have the 
third highest unemployment in the Nation. Times are tough. But all I 
can tell the taxpayers and the American people is that what happens 
overseas does matter.
  September 11 was planned in Afghanistan. It was an area of the world, 
quite frankly, that we ignored. Pakistan has been an ally in the war on 
terror generally. It is a regime with nuclear weapons. It is a country 
that has been hit incredibly hard by the downturn of the world economy. 
There are millions of people in Pakistan who are looking to find a 
better way. The government is fighting forces that are aligned with the 
al-Qaida movement--the type of people who would impose a period of 
darkness in the Middle East that would affect the quality of our lives. 
So $1.5 billion is a lot of money, but it will do a lot of good in 
Pakistan and it will help this government and the Pakistan military 
combat the growing threat of terrorism in Pakistan. The aid package is 
going to help the government provide a better quality of life for its 
people. Where the government fails to provide a decent quality of life 
in Afghanistan and Pakistan, you will have a vacuum that will be filled 
by the Taliban. The Taliban is not in favor with the Afghan people, but 
when the government of Afghanistan cannot deliver justice, provide the 
basic necessities of life, that allows the drug dealers and the Taliban 
to come along and fill in the vacuum.
  Pakistan is a large country with nuclear weapons. It is in our 
national security interest to make sure that the government is stable, 
that the military will be supportive of civilian control of the 
government and will be able to defeat the forces of extremism we have 
seen. We know what they can do when left unchecked. So this bill is an 
aid package which focuses on civil capacity.
  The bill also makes sure that we know where the money is going to go. 
It is not a $1.5 billion check to Pakistan that could be stolen through 
corruption. It is a very accountable system that follows the money. It 
makes an effort to upgrade the Pakistan military to deal with 
counterinsurgency, because they do not have the capacity now that they 
need. Again, it provides assistance to the Pakistani people and the 
government to improve the quality of their lives.
  I think we are getting something for our money. I think we are going 
to get a good return if we can stabilize Pakistan. It helps us in 
Afghanistan, where we have thousands of American troops stationed and 
fighting as I speak.
  So to Senators Kerry and Lugar, congratulations on being able to get 
this bill through the Senate so swiftly. To Senators McConnell and 
Reid, I applaud them both, the minority and majority leaders, for 
working for the common good here. The administration has also been very 
supportive. I have had my differences with this administration, and I 
will continue to have them, but I want to acknowledge that Ambassador 
Holbrooke, who is now in charge of monitoring Pakistan and Afghanistan 
as a unit, has done a good job of focusing on what we need to do in 
both countries, because one does affect the other.
  The Kerry-Lugar bill, according to the Ambassador and General 
Petraeus, would be the most important thing the Congress could do to 
aid the Pakistan Government and the Pakistan military at this crucial 
time. So I am glad to see that in a bipartisan fashion we responded to 
that call from our general and from our Ambassador, and hopefully this 
will become law soon.
  To the American taxpayer, I know times are tough. I know money is in 
short supply. But quite frankly, this is an investment we have to make. 
We have soldiers serving in Afghanistan. If we can make Pakistan more 
secure and less of a safe haven for terrorists who are attacking our 
troops, that makes their lives better. If we can stabilize Pakistan and 
put it in the column of moderation and not extremism, not

[[Page S7037]]

only will our Nation prosper now, but future generations will be able 
to prosper. It is impossible for us as a nation to have a strong, 
vibrant economy and to enjoy the freedom we enjoy today and pass it on 
to our kids and grandkids without confronting these problems head on. 
Anytime you ignore problems such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, they 
always come back to bite you.

  This is a wise investment at a time that it matters. The tide is 
turning in Pakistan, it is turning our way, and I hope this aid package 
will allow it to accelerate and get a result in Pakistan that helps us 
in Afghanistan.
  Every American should be proud of the history and tradition of our 
country. We have been blessed in many ways. The challenges we face are 
enormous, but we have to remember we are the most blessed nation on 
Earth and this is a chance for us not only to help ourselves but help 
the world at large.
  I am proud of the Senate. I look forward to working in the future 
with Ambassador Holbrooke and the administration on Afghanistan, Iraq, 
and Pakistan, to find ways to make sure we are successful. This is not 
a Republican or Democratic problem, this is a problem for anyone who 
loves freedom. This is a problem that needs to be addressed and the 
Kerry-Lugar bill does address the problem of Pakistan in a reasoned 
way.
  With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.