Jim Costa: “Mr. Chairman, I think from many of the comments that have been made here this afternoon regarding the concerns that we…”

“Mr. Chairman, I think from many of the comments that have been made here this afternoon regarding the concerns that we have as it relates to the situation in Afghanistan, we come with the best of intentions to support H.R. 2446, which is the underlying bill, a strong bill; and I am, of course, among those who support this measure. It affirms the United States' long-term commitment to support Afghanistan in the transition that has seen 30 years of civil war, violence and occupation by a brutal regime to a stable and prosperous democratic state at peace with its neighbors. Having said that, though, it is easier said than done, as we all know, for Afghanistan faces many challenges. With the amount of funding that we have provided to the Afghani people for economic and security reasons, I believe that there is increased need to have the sort of oversight mechanisms in place to protect this investment, to ensure its success and, of course, to always make sure that American taxpayers' dollars are well spent.”