Rodney Frelinghuysen: “I thank the ranking member for yielding to me. I rise to oppose the gentleman's amendment. Mr. Chairman, according to…”

“I thank the ranking member for yielding to me. I rise to oppose the gentleman's amendment. Mr. Chairman, according to the President's own budget request: The Afghan Infrastructure Fund has been an invaluable resource in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Initiated in fiscal year 2011, the AIF funds infrastructure projects in Afghanistan that are a key feature of the counterinsurgency strategy and the civil-military strategic framework endorsed by the commander, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan to lock in security gains and maintain stability by providing basic, essential infrastructure of the people of Afghanistan. Mr. Chairman, in other words, these projects that would be eliminated or reduced are vital to protecting our currently deployed troops and civilian employees besides the Afghanis themselves, and that is a worthy investment. We still have 68,000 troops over there, a lot of civilians supporting the effort, contractors even, and a lot of international forces. They deserve this protection. This is a good long-term investment.”