WASHINGTON: A bill on Monday was introduced in the US House ofRepresentatives to end non-defence aid to Pakistan as it “provides militaryaid and intelligence” to terrorists, alleged the mover. It sought that theamount be redirected to infrastructure projects in the country.
Introduced by Congressmen Mark Sanford from South Carolina and ThomasMassie from Kentucky, the legislation will prohibit the US State Departmentand the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) fromsending American taxpayer money to Pakistan. The lawmakers alleged thatPakistan “knowingly” provides resources to terrorists.
Instead, these funds will be redirected to the Highway Trust Fund, theaccount that pays for road infrastructure in the US.
Massie said the US should not funnel money to a government that “providesmilitary aid and intelligence to terrorists”.
This common-sense bill puts America first by reallocating tax dollars toroads and bridges at home instead of funnelling money overseas, he added.
Sanford said, “When the American people support other nations, ourgenerosity shouldn’t be used to reward terrorists with US taxpayer dollars.Couple this with the fact that the Highway Trust Fund will be $111 billionshort by 2026, and it simply makes financial sense to repurpose these fundsfor our infrastructure.”
Senator Rand Paul, who introduced the companion legislation in the Senate,said, “we fail to protect the country and steward taxpayers’ hard-earnedmoney when we support countries that chant “death to America and burn ourflag”.
“Let’s bring that money home and use it to help rebuild our infrastructureinstead of giving it to a nation that persecutes Christians and imprisonspeople such as the doctor that helped us get Osama bin Laden,” he said. -Agencies