Ted Poe: “This amendment is very simple. It makes it so the Secretary of Defense cannot waive the conditions that are in the bill…”

“This amendment is very simple. It makes it so the Secretary of Defense cannot waive the conditions that are in the bill on giving money to Pakistan. Since 2010, Congress has put conditions on our aid to Pakistan because Pakistan, frankly, can't be trusted. In 2011, Pakistan tipped off terrorists who had IED factories that the U.S. Government knew where they were. Pakistan tipped off the Haqqani network before the Pakistan military went to the tribal areas last year. We didn't tell Pakistan before we launched the raid that killed Osama bin Laden because, according to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, ``We just can't trust them.'' This bill puts seven conditions on our aid to Pakistan. They are good conditions. Earlier this evening, about an hour ago, the ranking member mentioned these conditions for aid to Pakistan. They are commonsense things like, if Pakistan wants our money, it shouldn't support terrorist activity against the United States--imagine that--or the Pakistan Government should dismantle the IED factories run by terrorists in Pakistan. These IED factories have killed many of our troops. Here is the problem. Each year, we put conditions on our aid. The bill also gives the Secretary of Defense the authority to give the money to Pakistan even if Pakistan doesn't meet those conditions, and this year is no exception.…”