Press Release of Senator Lugar Biden, Lugar Introduce Landmark Legislation on Pakistan Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Washington, DC –Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and the Committee’s Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN) unveiled landmark legislation designed to promote an enhanced strategic partnership with the people of Pakistan. The bill triples non-military aid to Pakistan and sustains it over five years. Specifically, the legislation authorizes $7.5 billion over 5 years in aid that can be used for development purposes, such as building schools, roads and clinics. The bill also calls for greater accountability on security assistance, to improve Pakistani counterterrorism capabilities and ensure more effective efforts against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.   “For far too long, our policy towards Pakistan has been in desperate need of a serious overhaul,” said Senator Joe Biden.  “The U.S.-Pakistan relationship has been largely transactional:  the exchange of aid for services.  That transaction isn’t working.    From the American perspective, we’ve spent billions of dollars and have gotten far too little to show for it.  From the Pakistani perspective, America is an unreliable ally that will abandon Pakistan the moment it’s convenient to do so, and whose support to date has merely bolstered unrepresentative rulers, both in and out of uniform.  We need to change this arrangement into the type of normal, functional relationship we enjoy with all of our other military allies and friendly nations.  Sen. Lugar and I have worked closely to formulate a bold new strategy for Pakistan.  Our bill represents a genuine sea-change—one which will set the U.S.-Pakistan policy on a safer and more successful course.    “The legislation recognizes that strengthening democracy and countering terrorism go hand in hand. American Defense, intelligence and State Department officials have all said that economic development and improved governance are at least as critical as military action in containing the terrorist threat,” Lugar said.  “While our bill envisions sustained cooperation with Pakistan for the long haul, it is not a blank check. It calls for tangible progress in a number of areas, including an independent judiciary, greater accountability by the central government, respect for human rights, and civilian control of the levers of power, including the military and the intelligence agencies.” A fact sheet is available at: http://lugar.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=300696& A copy of the bill is available at: http://lugar.senate.gov/sfrc/pdf/Pakistan.pdf Senator Lugar's statement on the bill is available at: http://lugar.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=300698& ###