news Congress discussing emergency aid to Pakistan

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Congress discussing emergency aid to Pakistan



1 hour, 6 minutes ago





WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional leaders are discussing with the Obama administration whether to provide emergency aid to Pakistan, House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Tuesday.


"Certainly we are discussing with the administration what is needed," Hoyer told reporters in response to a question about the possibility of rushing aid to Islamabad, which is conducting an offensive against the Taliban.

He did not say how much assistance was being considered.

The Taliban's creeping advance toward the Pakistani capital in recent weeks has heightened fears in the United States about the stability of its nuclear-armed ally.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week that the United States could not contemplate the Taliban taking control of Pakistan's nuclear assets.

"I can't tell you what action is being planned, either by the administration or by us, but that is under active discussion, what needs to be done," Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said at a weekly news conference. "And if something needs to be done ... we're going to address it."

While Pakistan is expected to get money from a war funding bill that should be passed by Congress sometime this summer, "... if we need to do something earlier we would do that, I think," Hoyer said.

Asked if that could be as soon as next week, when Pakistani leader Asif Ali Zardari visits Washington, he said, "Could be."

"All of us are very concerned about what is happening in Pakistan," Hoyer said, adding: "The stability of Pakistan is very very important not only to the region but to the United States as well."

Pakistan is slated to get over $400 million to fund counterinsurgency programs and $1.4 billion in economic assistance from the war funding bill now before the Democratic-majority Congress.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Eric Walsh)