Ed Royce: “And will just take a moment and recognize the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) for his initiative in introducing…”

“And will just take a moment and recognize the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) for his initiative in introducing this bill and for his commitment to the success of democratic governance in Afghanistan. The international community has previously pledged aid support to Afghanistan on the condition that the country hold transparent, credible, and inclusive elections this year and next year. This resolution encourages the Government of Afghanistan to uphold that commitment when Afghans finally select a successor to President Karzai on June 14. This new government will have a chance to start anew, tackling corruption--the kind of corruption that has jeopardized the success of international aid efforts there. This resolution urges the Government of Afghanistan to lessen the risk of fraud, to improve electoral transparency, enhance security efforts, and increase voter participation during the upcoming runoff. Importantly, it has also been the case that we need to recognize the sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces, and this resolution does that. It recognizes those in our Armed Forces and underscores that this election will contribute to the security and stability interests of both Afghanistan and the United States.…”