Tom Harkin: “it has been nearly 6 weeks since Pakistan was devastated by one of the most powerful and deadly earthquakes in modern…”

“it has been nearly 6 weeks since Pakistan was devastated by one of the most powerful and deadly earthquakes in modern times. More than 140,000 people were killed or injured in the disaster. The earthquake left 3 million people homeless; hundreds of thousands of children were left without schools. More than a million jobs were wiped out. I have come to the floor this afternoon to remind my colleagues that as we are prepared to leave town to spend the holidays with our families, to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with turkey and all the trimmings, as we sit around our dining tables and warm houses with family and friends close by, and we give thanks for all our blessings, let's also pause and remember those halfway around the world who will not even have enough to eat that day, will not have a warm house, and who are facing a winter ahead of cold and deprivation. These are the people of Pakistan, one of our most important strategic allies in Asia, especially in the war against terrorism. There are many difficult months and years ahead for the Pakistani people and the immediate danger is that the winter snows will now soon make relief efforts in Kashmir difficult and in some places all but impossible, even by helicopter. Americans can be very proud of the role our Armed Forces have played in relief operations in the earthquake zone. Immediately after the disaster struck, the United States offered Pakistan $156 million in aid.…”