Political Quotes

“I first want to congratulate the chairman and the ranking member and their respective staffs for once again offering us a model for bipartisan collaboration on major legislation. This particular amendment addresses the future drawdown in Afghanistan which will require NATO to remove $30 billion of equipment from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. This includes everything from vehicles to armor to equipment. Logistically speaking, this is quite a challenge. The United States and its allies have relied on two major routes to transport equipment to Afghanistan: the Ground Lines of Communication, which is the NATO supply route, and the Northern Distribution Network through Central Asia. For nearly 6 months, Pakistan has closed the NATO troop supply route in response to the accidental shooting of Pakistani troops on the border. While recent talks between us on the subject have been positive, the final outcome is far from certain. This simple amendment addresses the issue head-on by withholding funds to the Coalition Support Fund until the Secretary of Defense certifies that Pakistan has opened the Ground Lines of Communication, is allowing the transit of NATO supplies through Pakistan into Afghanistan, and, three, is supporting retrograde of U.S. equipment out of Afghanistan. Drawing down from Afghanistan will be no easy feat, and it will require the cooperation of our allies, no matter how strained the ties.…”