From this article, Kerry and Lugar will introduce the Pakistan aid bill today at 3pm

[karynnj]

Democratic Senator John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Richard Lugar, the panel’s ranking member, were to present the bill around 3:00 pm (1900 GMT), Kerry’s office said.

‘The legislation intents to help transform the relationship between the US and Pakistan from a transactional, tactically-driven set of short-term exercises in crisis-management, into a deeper, broader, long-term strategic engagement,’ Kerry’s office said in a statement.

The announcement came two days before US President Barack Obama hosts presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan amid concerns about efforts to fight the Islamist threat in the region.

Details of the legislation were not immediately available, but a previous version tripled non-military US assistance to 1.5 billion per year over the next five years, and called for extending that for another five years.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/09-us-senators-to-present-pakistan-aid-plan-szh--04

(I don't know what's up with the verb tense used "were" rather will or are scheduled to.

[YvonneCa]

1. He's on now. CSPAN2 n/t

[karynnj]

2. I missed it - just turned it on and got Lugar - Fortunately it is on CSPAN.org now

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/congress/?q=node/77539&hors=s#

[YvonneCa]

4. Sorry for not posting sooner. I missed...

...the beginning, too.

[karynnj]

3. Boston Globe article giving the details of the bill

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/05/kerry_and_lugar.html

[karynnj]

5. Nice article in a Richmond, Indiana paper on this

(This is Lugar's atate - so it is not surprising that he is in the title. )


Kerry said the United States needs to build a relationship with the people of Pakistan, rather than with a specific government.

<snip>

The bill has the backing of President Barack Obama, whose first official visit with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari takes place Wednesday.

Lugar and Kerry will also meet with Zardari and the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, on Thursday.

"We hope the meeting can help to galvanize a sense of direction around here," Kerry said.

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20090505/NEWS01/905050331/1008/Lugar+wants+change+in+Pakistan+aid


It is hard to have the disciple to follow the 4 paragraph rule when the journalist creates one sentence paragraphs.