"U.S. Aid to Pakistan (Part II): Planning and Accountability"

On March 16, 2010, in 2154 Rayburn House Office Building, the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs continued its extensive oversight of U.S. efforts in Pakistan by conducting a hearing designed to examine U.S. economic and development assistance programs there.

On October 15, 2009, President Obama signed the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act, informally known as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, tripling U.S. civilian economic and development assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion annually until 2014.  While Kerry-Lugar-Berman was a largely bi-partisan demonstration of U.S. commitment to long-term assistance to Pakistan, serious concerns remain regarding the ability of USAID and the State Department to effectively and efficiently manage and account for a massive increase in assistance.  In December 2009, the Obama administration, led by Ambassador Holbrooke, completed a major review of its civilian aid delivery business model in Pakistan.  The review, updated monthly, states that the administration will focus more funds on building Pakistani governmental and nongovernmental capacity and will attempt to reduce the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) reliance on Western contractors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  The Subcommittee examined whether the transition outlined in the new strategy is realistic in its timing and scaled to the capacity of Pakistani ministries and NGOs to absorb a major influx of U.S. funds.

For more information regarding the December 9, 2009 hearing, click here.

WITNESS LIST

• Mr. Daniel Feldman, Deputy to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Department of State
• Mr. James A. Bever, Director, Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force, and Deputy Assistant Administrator, Asia and Near East Bureau, USAID