Legislation in US Senate for emergency aid to Pakistan

With situation worsening in Pakistan due to increasing influence of Taliban extremists, a legislation has been introduced in the US Senate to empower the President to provide up to $500 million of immediate aid to Islamabad, if needed, to deal with the menace.       

Introducing the resolution (S-917), Republican Senator Judd Gregg, Obama's pick for Commerce Secretary but withdrew his nomination later, argued that the US President requires such an extraordinary authority, given increasingly dire situation in Pakistan and alarming news reports of territorial gains by extremists.       

"While I don't pretend to have the answers to Pakistan's myriad challenges, I do know that the administration lacks the necessary authority to reprogramme significant funds to respond to further political and economic deterioration in that country," Gregg said.       

"Should the government of Pakistani President (Asif Ali) Zardari collapse, the (Obama) Administration will need maximum flexibility in its response," Gregg argued.       

The bill allows the US President to reprogramme up to $500 million of previously appropriated foreign operations funds for assistance for Pakistan if he determines that it is in the vital national security interests of the US to do so, he said.The bill has been sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for necessary action.       

Gregg said his proposal is in addition to the impact that destabilisation would have on Pakistan's nuclear complex, specifically the combination of dozens of nuclear weapons, untested security systems, and a surplus of Islamic militants in the area.      

"These issues are at the forefront of our security interests in the region and would exacerbate exponentially the impact of destabilisation," he said.       

Gregg said the current law limits section 451 reprogramme (under which he is seeking the authority) to $25,000,000. 

"In contrast, the supplemental budget request seeks $four billion in special transfer authority for the Department of Defense to meet emerging requirements," he said.      

"Surely, the State Department should also have increased flexibility to react promptly to the economic and security needs of Pakistan should the worst case scenario transpire," Gregg said.