On the recordSeptember 28, 2023
I can only say that the gentleman from Florida is mistaken. His amendment assumes the Lebanese Armed Forces is in some sort of disarray. It is not. It is the most respected institution in Lebanon. It assumes that it has not been a good steward of the moneys it has received. It has. As a matter of fact, multiple administrations have certified that not a single piece of capital equipment has ever been lost. It assumes that somehow it is in the pocket of Hezbollah. I was in Lebanon and Israel in 2006 as Israel tried to defeat Hezbollah and did not. Since that time, we have continued to bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces to fight ISIS and other forces and to maintain a situation in which American oversight is possible, both military and civilian, because of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Lebanon is in an economic free fall, and as a result of its economic situation, there is direct aid, but that aid is not highly paid generals. As a matter of fact, if not for our aid, it would be likely that most members of the Lebanese Armed Forces would not report to their barracks. They would not have enough money for gasoline. This essential support was necessitated based on their economic downfall. We who visited Lebanon, who have seen it, and worked with both our military and our State Department stand behind the necessity and the accuracy of this support aid, and we oppose the amendment.
