Enhanced Partnership With Pakistan Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

Enhanced Partnership With Pakistan Act Of 2009

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Berman, and congratulate him and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen on bringing this important bill to the floor.

We have to learn from our past mistakes. And the fact is that the economic and political stability of Pakistan is essential to U.S. security interests, and we know what has happened in the past when we have ignored that fact. Because when the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in 1989, the United States lost interest in Afghanistan, and we reduced our commitment to Pakistan at the same time. And we all know the consequences. The consequences we saw on September 11, 2001. Because what happened in that power vacuum in Afghanistan was that Taliban took power. They invited al Qaeda in, and the result is the horrible attacks that we saw September 11, 2001.

We must not repeat those mistakes. We must provide a substantial and solid foundation to our relationship with Pakistan which includes not only military assistance but economic assistance and also should require a trade relationship. And I am disappointed that the reconstruction opportunity zones provisions were dropped from this bill. They were supported by the President of Pakistan who thought they were important to economic development there. They were part of President Obama's security strategy with respect to Pakistan and Afghanistan which he announced in March. Ambassador Holbrooke in a letter to the Speaker of the House said that the ROZs, reconstruction opportunity zones, are a vital component of our policy towards Pakistan in a moment of great challenge, indeed crisis, for that critically important nation.

I hope, Mr. Chairman, we can continue to work on this. Thank you for your leadership here. I thank Representative Levin, as well, and other Members, because I think that the Pakistani President is a good judge of what the economic impact would be. And I do find it curious when sometimes Members of this Congress substitute their judgment as to what would be in the economic interests of Pakistan.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I will yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

We just heard from the previous speaker that we should focus on trade more than aid. And I do think we need to move forward on trade because we do know that that provides for more sustainable foundation to long-term economic growth in Pakistan. And the idea behind the reconstruction opportunity zones was to create more incentive for businesses to operate out of some of the troubled regions in Pakistan and provide alternatives to taking up a gun or joining the Taliban or joining the insurgency. So I think this is a very important part of our strategy.

I'm very hopeful that we can move forward on this with the Senate. I'm disappointed again that the Senate has decided not to go forward at this time. And I just want to underscore again the statements made by Secretary Clinton as well as Ambassador Holbrooke and the President of the United States that we should move forward on this on an expeditious basis.

Again, I thank the chairman for his leadership.

Source