mr. higgins of new york. >> thank you, madam chair. mr. ambassador, a few minutes ago, you spoke of the hopeful signs of the relationship between pakistan and india. i want to focus on the more troubling signs of the relationship with india, but also with that of the united states. pakistan, let's be truthful about this, plays a double game. there are military partner, but they're the protector and the patron of our enemies. this has been going on for 15 years. since 2002, united states aid to pakistan economic and military, has averaged about $2 billion a year. pakistan's annual defense budget is only about $5 billion a year. so we, the united states, finances a major portion of their economic and defense military budget. yet, by every measure, terrorism has become worse in both afghanistan and pakistan. in 2010, the most generous u.s. aid package to pakistan of $4.5 billion, $4.5 billion, and the united states suffered the highest level of casualties in afghanistan, almost 500 soldiers. also, pakistan is involved in an arms race against

mr. higgins of new york. >> thank you, madam chair. mr. ambassador, a few minutes ago, you spoke of the hopeful signs of the relationship between pakistan and india. i want to focus on the more troubling signs of the relationship with india, but also with that of the united states. pakistan, let's be truthful about this, plays a double game. there are military partner, but they're the protector and the patron of our enemies. this has been going on for 15 years. since 2002, united states aid to pakistan economic and military, has averaged about $2 billion a year. pakistan's annual defense budget is only about $5 billion a year. so we, the united states, finances a major portion of their economic and defense military budget. yet, by every measure, terrorism has become worse in both afghanistan and pakistan. in 2010, the most generous u.s. aid package to pakistan of $4.5 billion, $4.5 billion, and the united states suffered the highest level of casualties in afghanistan, almost 500 soldiers. also, pakistan is involved in an arms race against

mr. higgins said. i was an advocate in my first five minutes or devil's advocate for zero base in pakistan, that's obviously not what we're going to do. i hope you will assure the pakistanis that if there was ever a vote on the floor of the house that says that not one penny could be spent before the doctor and his family were safe here, we would be stampeding to say yes, and that would be a danger to some of our colleagues. as to -- yes, there would be a stampede. those voting first would be stampeded by those trying to be first. focusing on that aid, obviously, schools are important, usid dedicated more than $155 million to building and improving schools in sind. in a 2014 inspeck tor general report, the program found that it was not realizing goals that no schools had been built, that there was little improvement in early grade reading. that was the report in 2014. has anything been done to make sure that education aid is more effectively spent? and if you don't have that information, you can respon

mr. higgins of new york. >> thank you, madam chair. mr. ambassador, a few minutes ago you spoke of the hopeful side of the relationship between pakistan and india. i want to focus on the more troubling signs of relationship with india but also that of the united states. pakistan, let's be truthful, place a double game. the our military partners but they are the protector and a patron of our enemies. this is been going on for 15 years. since 2002 the united states aid to pakistan, economic and military, has averaged about $2 billion a year. pakistan's annual defense budget is only about $5 billion a year. so we the united states finances a major portion of the economic and defense military budget. yet by every measure terrorism has become worse in both afghanistan and pakistan. in 2010 the most generous u.s. aid package to pakistan, $4.5 billion, $4.5 billion, the united states suffer the highest level of casualties in afghanistan, almost 500 soldiers. also, pakistan is involved in an arms race against what he believes is its existential th

mr. higgins said.i was an advocate my first five minutes -- devil's advocate for a zero-based budget for pakistan. that's obviously not what we're going to do. i do hope you'll confer to the pakistanis, though, that if there was ever a vote on the house to say not one penny can be dispersed until the doctor and his family are safe here it would pose a danger to the u.s. congress because we'd be stampeding to vote yes and that would be a danger to some of our colleagues. as to yes, a stampede. those voting first would be stampeded by those trying to be first. focusing on that aid, obviously schools are important. usaid dedicated more than $155 billion to improving schools in sindh. a 2014 inspector general report found three years in the program was not achieving its goals, that they had unrealistic expectations, that no schools had been built. that there was little improvement in early grade reading. that was 2014 st. there any report that education aid in sindh has been better spent. and if you don't

mr. higgins made some great comments, and i think we similarlyncerned because of the size and nuclear weapons and everything else. there is a part of me that wants ,o say, in all fairness pakistan has been a great ally of ours, particularly from the military standpoint, and we never would have gotten that equipment out of iraq because there was only one way to go, through pakistan. we kind of overlooked that. i still think the only country that is going to control afghanistan's destiny is -- is pakistan. head and shaking your you agree with that. all those things considered, i am going to throw something which really, really scares me. there has been talk in light of the iranian deal and the nuclear in a persian country, in a shiite country. in your opinion, is there any possibility that pakistan would not just give the technology but actually sell nuclear weapons to , i sunni states with money will not name them but i think we know who they are, that this proliferation would start on a scale and change the whole calculus of the region? mr. olson: thank you, congressman. thank you for flaggin

mr. higgins made some great comments, and i think we are all concerned similarly because of the size and nuclear weapons and everything else. there is a part of me that wants to say, in all fairness, pakistan has been a great ally of ours, particularly from the military standpoint, and we never would have gotten that equipment out of iraq because there was only one way to go, through pakistan. we kind of overlooked that. i still think the only country that is going to control afghanistan's destiny is -- is pakistan. i see you shaking your head and you agree with that. all those things considered, i am going to throw something which really, really scares me. there has been talk in light of the iranian deal and the nuclear weapons in a persian country, in a shiite country. in your opinion, is there any possibility that pakistan would not just give the technology but actually sell nuclear weapons to the sunni states with money, i will not name them but i think we know who they are, that this proliferation would start on a scale and change the whole calculus of the region? mr. olson: thank y

mr. higgins, offered an amendment to authorize g.a.o. to evaluate the availability of home med kits for first responders and their families in assessing the preparedness of first responders. maybe even being able to take care of their neighborhood or their family or themselves in the course of these disasters. i'm pleased to support the higgins amendment and i believe it adds to the bill. g.a.o. 5 also directs to distinguish policies available in high-risk urban areas which may be better resource in rural areas for efforts to ensure first responders and their families may create leveraging of resources. many of those areas have volunteer fire departments and volunteers who need the assistance from this act. this provision will ensure that the information included in the report will be applicable and adaptable by various communities across the country as they work to better protect their protectors and give them the support system that they need. additionally, the friends act directs the secretary of homeland security to review g.a.o.'s f

mr. higgins: the sparks played in front of a crowd of 3,000 at the carrier dome in syracuse. the team capped off a record breaking 12-1 season by defeating our lady of lords by a score of 49-46. the team's win was a storybook ending to the season. many have been playing together since little league and they became the first buffalo high school to win a championship. i stand today to congratulate the team, coaches, parents and principal terry shuta, my friend and classmate, for claiming the state title for buffalo and south park high school. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from tennessee seek recognition? mrs. blackburn: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. speaker. it is so disappointing that president obama believes a climate change summit is somehow a rebuke of international terrorism. think about that. the president's timid response about how to take on isis and how to define our enemy has embolden our

mr. higgins: the department of defense transferred a service record to the national archives 62 years after they are discharged from the military. is00,000 per year requested to determine eligibility for a medal, to research one's medical history or request a change in discharge status. the department of defense provides records to veterans for free, once they are sent to the archives, veterans are charged $25 to $75 for a copy of their file. mr. speaker, this is unacceptable a veteran should have pate the government for proof of their sfifes and service. once more this fee is leff have ied on veterans who are most likely living on a fixed income. this fee is unnecessary and inexcusable. i ask my colleagues to support legislation i'm introducing today to eliminate t i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? mrs. walorski: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: witho

standard," american conservative, forbes, professor christopher higgins spoke about this but the volume and tone of criticism directed at mr. bush from the right i think is surprising and something to consider. some of those complaints might be dismissed as not being representative, as being narrow. i think in the later part of mr. bush's second term some could say look, these are conservatives rats fleeing a sinking ship while trying to prevent the good name of conservatives from going down with the bush titanic. there's something to that bestow on balance i don't think you can dismiss it out of him. i think they constitute another red flag towards the facile labeling of bush as a doctrinaire conservative. is there some what of making sense all this, coming up with an account that would explain the pieces that seem to fit, some of the pieces that don't fit, some of the conservative criticism and i think there might be. i end up endorsing some form of what is well-known in my field as stephen's account of articulate first on the eve of the clinton presidency in which he describes these four regarding context of presidentia

mr. speaker, there's a new monument, that's a higgins boat troop carrier with a replica of soldiers storming the beach. i'm proud of the fact that this monument is a replica of one in columbus, nebraska a small town in my congressional district. it was built by the people of columbus, ship here and placed for the 71st anniversary celebration of d-day. a great sacrifice financially and time wise, many people in the community of columbus came together to build this extraordinary monument, a gift to france but primarily as a perpetual memory of those who fought an died. both quentin roosevelt, general roosevelt, and so many other young men and women gave their lives for a set of interlocking ideals. the beauty of liberty and the protection of human dignity which, mr. speaker, unfortunately in our fallen world must sometimes be preserved by a willingness to confront darkness, by a willingness to confront that which is irrational. but it is this same struggle, the same struggle that took place here, that we must engage in today. this struggle requires a different global effort but it is the same

mr. chair. i think you have probably touched on some of these answers already, but i really want to deal with my own concerns like congressman higgins and cook and others. i am troubled about the reports of pakistan's development of what i consider to be de-tactical nuclear weapons at a faster rate than any other country. i want to understand more clearly your assessment of pakistan's cooperation on nuclear proliferation concerns. the second part of that question has to do with recent media reports suggesting that our administration is considering some kind of nuclear arrangement with pakistan. i am not clear what is a nuclear arrangement, and if we are considering it, is pakistan really a trustworthy partner? like other members, the nuclear proliferation treaty concerns are very troubling. mr. olson: thank you, congressman. we share your concerns about the scope and pace of pakistan's nuclear program. we have an active dialogue on nonproliferation issues. >> has pakistan increased the rate of development and production of tactical nuclear weapons? mr. olson: we continue to have concerns about the scope and pace. that is all i can s

mr. goodlatte: director rodriguez, it is my understanding that was a teleconference last week between the refugee asylum and international operations division. regarding refugee processes. on that call, the deputy associate director, jennifer higgins, told the field office personnel that as refugee pools decreased in places from malaysia and nepal, our real focus will be in the middle east, jordan turkey, kenya. is what director higgins said the true? in the next few years the bulk of refugees will be coming from places like jordan, turkey, and airaq? leon rodriguez: chairman, i will not be able to comment on internal deliberations. the main question, it is in fact that there are certain refugees streams we have been seeing in recent years. recently they are drying up. i wouldn't use that phrase, but where the cases are essentially slowing down. at the same time, the syrian example speaks for itself. you have 4 million applicants for refugee status in jordan lebanon, and turkey. they are coming from a country absolutely devastated. more than half of its population is displaced. the president has been clear that we admit at least 10,000 people from syria in this fiscal year along with an overall target of 85,000. we have been very