US Kerry Lugar Bill for Pakistan aid

Congress to Vote on Bill to Triple Aid to Pak
The US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a bill to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to USD7.5 billion in the next five years with riders demanding strong counter-terrorism measures and preventing attacks on the West or its neighbours like India.
The bill also says the US President has to report annually that Pakistan is making progress on counter-terrorism measures and is not letting its soil being used by Al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorist groups against other countries.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously last week and after the expected approval of the bill by the House of Representatives Wednesday (Thursday India time), it would be sent to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature to turn it into a law.
With the passage of the bill, the Obama Administration will prevail over the opposition to it coming from several members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, who were seeking to include harsh conditions into it.
With a bitter past experience wherein the US aid money was being diverted for purposes other than it was meant for, lawmakers wanted to make provisions in the bill so that this cannot be repeated.
The House Majority Leader, Steny H Hoyer, said the bill (Number S 1707) has been scheduled last in a list of 17 bills to be taken up for discussion and vote on Wednesday.
It was initially introduced in the Senate by Vice President Joe Biden, then in the capacity as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and its ranking member, Senator Dick Lugar.
Since then the bill has seen several changes and is now called Kerry-Lugar bill as it has been introduced by Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Lugar.
Under the bill, the Congress will not only triple civilian aid to Pakistan for the next five years, but also provide assistance to support its democratic institutions, strengthen public diplomacy to combat militant extremism and promote a better understanding of the United States.
It also authorizes appropriations for assistance to Pakistan under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, including: international military education and training (IMET); and foreign military financing for the purchase of defence articles and services, among other things.