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On The Floor  »  Afghanistan Freedom & Security Support Act

Afghanistan Freedom & Security Support Act

On June 6, 2007, the House passed the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act, H.R. 2446, which will fund development, economic and security assistance programs, and establishment of a coordinator to tackle the growing threat of narcotics in Afghanistan.

This legislation renews a 2002 Afghanistan authorization and provides additional support for programs as diverse as assistance to women and girls, energy development and counter-narcotics. It authorizes $6.435 billion for fiscal years 2008 through 2010, of which $2.145 billion is authorized to be spent in fiscal year 2008.

The bill requires the President to set out an enhanced strategy with specific and measurable reconstruction, counter-narcotics and security goals for Afghanistan. It also requires the Administration to submit a report to Congress describing a large range of political, economic, development, security, and counter-narcotics performance goals and progress. The bill mandates a cutoff of U.S. assistance to local or provincial governments where there is credible evidence that officials have links to terrorist activities or the drug trade.

The Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act also requires the Presidential appointment of a coordinator with authority to work across all U.S. government departments and agencies to implement a counter-narcotics strategy. It paves the way for Pentagon assistance to counter-narcotics programs in Afghanistan operated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and emphasizes the importance of targeting “sensitive sites” which harbor major drug kingpins and narcotics processing labs. This bill represents the United States’ commitment to achieving long-term stability and security in Afghanistan.

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