Clinton and Gates Back on the Hill
Secretaries Gates and Clinton testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday on the Administration’s request for an additional $37.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2010 war spending, including $4.5 billion for the International Affairs Budget. Secretary Clinton spoke about the whole-of-government effort the U.S. needs in its foreign policy, saying “we are very much committed together on behalf of our civilian and military efforts in the front-line states . . . We don’t think that they can be separated because the challenges we face demand that we draw on all of the tools of American leadership and American power.”
Secretary Gates agreed it was crucial to have U.S. foreign policy be a three-legged stool and talked about civilian and military efforts working together. “[E]ven at a time of budget pressures, I believe it is critical to sustain an adequate, sustainable level of investment in the instruments of national power – be it defense, diplomacy, or development – that are so essential to America’s security and position in the world.”
Accountability Theme Runs Deep
Many of the questions from Senators focused on ensuring the accountability of how the funds are being used and concerns about corruption in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Secretary Clinton said she shared concerns that aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan would fall into the hands of corrupt parties–“I am not going to sit here and tell you that it isn’t.”
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AK) pointed out what he called a “shocking” finding of a recent United Nations report on corruption in Afghanistan. “When it comes to accountability for our foreign aid there, could you give us a status report of the things that your department is doing to try to make sure there is sufficient accountability?” Clinton responded said that there will be more support for inspectors general and more auditors, and that the United States will be certifying Afghan government entities that receive funding. “We are working to put people into those agencies,” she said. “Corruption is a deeply ingrained problem, and we just have to be very vigilant about making sure that we are not caught up in it.”
