Tim Walberg: “I thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for the work that has been done, and I look forward to…”

“I thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for the work that has been done, and I look forward to supporting this important appropriations, but I rise to offer a bipartisan amendment with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie), the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Rigell), and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan) that works to ensure the appropriate use of American taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan. This amendment is in keeping with the clear position of the House, as we have voted several times in bipartisan fashion, to limit funds for the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, a program which has been poorly run and is lacking in oversight. Last year, the House passed my bipartisan amendment that would have prevented the Department of Defense from redirecting $50 million in funds from the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund to the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund. Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2016 omnibus did not retain the House language and provided DOD the authority to obligate funds for the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund through the end of fiscal year 2017. My current amendment would turn off this authority. Mr. Chairman, we have spent billions of dollars toward rebuilding the infrastructure of Afghanistan.…”