HARMAN STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL CONFERENCE REPORT
Congressional Desk
June 21, 2009
Lawmaker calls bill, "a needed course correction from Bush policies..."
Washington, DC – Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) issued the following statement on the Conference Report of H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009. The bill passed by a vote of 226-202.
"We live in difficult times. Families continue to struggle to make ends meet. Two major American auto companies have crumbled before our eyes. And the US faces threats from groups and individuals across the globe who endeavor to do us harm.
"Today, the bill before us – hopefully the last war supplemental funding measure of its kind – attempts to tackle at least one of these looming problems.
"It finances the targeted strategy President Obama has crafted to minimize security threats to the United States and stabilize one of the most volatile regions of the world. The Supplemental´s provisions on Afghanistan and Pakistan focus on preventing them from becoming failed states and safe havens for terrorists.
"It is also a needed course-correction from the Bush Administration´s policies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan – one that makes ending corruption and improving governance, not projection of military force, the top priority.
"The President has asked me – personally – to support this measure.
"And I will support it for three reasons. First, this bill funds a very clear strategy in Afghanistan and limits the military mission there. Second, it provides the means to end the combat mission in Iraq and requires the Secretary of Defense to report on troop drawdown status there.
"Third, there is no funding for US troops to Pakistan – only non-military aid and counter-insurgency training to enable Pakistani forces to defeat the ominous Taliban threat inside their borders. It rightly focuses on programs that can and should succeed, rather than open-ended engagements that lack achievable goals.
"Governance is the key – providing the Afghan and Pakistani people an alternative to the false promise of safety and security offered by insurgent groups who are in fact terrorizing local populations. Earning the trust of the people of those countries is crucial – reforming the police, cleaning up the court systems and targeting corruption are necessary to restore confidence.
"One of the most important provisions contained in this bill is the requirement that the President submit a report to Congress within the next year assessing the success of the Af/Pak policy – the extent to which the Afghan and Pakistan governments have supported counterinsurgency operations and governance reforms, and the ways in which they are effectively governing the shared border region.
"The oversight measures contained in this bill will ensure that the mission is focused and that our goals are met. Investments are specific and intended to fund a finite objective.
"But this measure funds more than our engagements abroad. It provides $7.7 billion for H1N1 pandemic flu preparedness and response efforts – most of which will be used to expand our ability to detect the virus and supplement vaccine stockpiles. While this pandemic has not been as extreme as initially expected, many scientists fear that H1N1 could recur – in a stronger form – next year. This is a strategic investment in the federal government´s contingency planning efforts.
"Finally, the legislation honors America´s wounded warriors, providing funds for health and rehabilitation programs.
"I have long opposed conducting US military operations "off the books." President Obama is committed to ending this practice, which I believe is necessary to making sure our missions are effective and Americans can understand the real trade-offs involved.
Washington, DC – Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) issued the following statement on the Conference Report of H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009. The bill passed by a vote of 226-202.
"We live in difficult times. Families continue to struggle to make ends meet. Two major American auto companies have crumbled before our eyes. And the US faces threats from groups and individuals across the globe who endeavor to do us harm.
"Today, the bill before us – hopefully the last war supplemental funding measure of its kind – attempts to tackle at least one of these looming problems.
"It finances the targeted strategy President Obama has crafted to minimize security threats to the United States and stabilize one of the most volatile regions of the world. The Supplemental´s provisions on Afghanistan and Pakistan focus on preventing them from becoming failed states and safe havens for terrorists.
"It is also a needed course-correction from the Bush Administration´s policies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan – one that makes ending corruption and improving governance, not projection of military force, the top priority.
"The President has asked me – personally – to support this measure.
"And I will support it for three reasons. First, this bill funds a very clear strategy in Afghanistan and limits the military mission there. Second, it provides the means to end the combat mission in Iraq and requires the Secretary of Defense to report on troop drawdown status there.
"Third, there is no funding for US troops to Pakistan – only non-military aid and counter-insurgency training to enable Pakistani forces to defeat the ominous Taliban threat inside their borders. It rightly focuses on programs that can and should succeed, rather than open-ended engagements that lack achievable goals.
"Governance is the key – providing the Afghan and Pakistani people an alternative to the false promise of safety and security offered by insurgent groups who are in fact terrorizing local populations. Earning the trust of the people of those countries is crucial – reforming the police, cleaning up the court systems and targeting corruption are necessary to restore confidence.
"One of the most important provisions contained in this bill is the requirement that the President submit a report to Congress within the next year assessing the success of the Af/Pak policy – the extent to which the Afghan and Pakistan governments have supported counterinsurgency operations and governance reforms, and the ways in which they are effectively governing the shared border region.
"The oversight measures contained in this bill will ensure that the mission is focused and that our goals are met. Investments are specific and intended to fund a finite objective.
"But this measure funds more than our engagements abroad. It provides $7.7 billion for H1N1 pandemic flu preparedness and response efforts – most of which will be used to expand our ability to detect the virus and supplement vaccine stockpiles. While this pandemic has not been as extreme as initially expected, many scientists fear that H1N1 could recur – in a stronger form – next year. This is a strategic investment in the federal government´s contingency planning efforts.
"Finally, the legislation honors America´s wounded warriors, providing funds for health and rehabilitation programs.
"I have long opposed conducting US military operations "off the books." President Obama is committed to ending this practice, which I believe is necessary to making sure our missions are effective and Americans can understand the real trade-offs involved.
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