Kentucky’s junior U.S. Senator says he now has the support he needs to force a vote on ending U.S. aid to Pakistan. Bowling Green Republican Rand Paul made the claim on the Senate floor Tuesday. Paul has been trying to sever financial assistance to the Pakistani government since it jailed Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped the U.S. find and kill Osama bin Laden.
Senator Paul said if Afridi is not released soon, he call for the vote next week.
"He has an appeal that will be heard this Thursday. If he is not successful in his appeal, if he is still in prison, then we will have a vote in the Senate on ending aid to Pakistan, not a small portion of their aid, but all of their aid, including the billion they got last week," said Paul.
Senator Paul claims 80 percent of Americans support his efforts to stop aid to Pakistan. He maintain it doesn’t make sense to keep sending money to a country that doesn’t respect the U.S. The Obama administration and some members of Congress are reluctant to cut funds because they see Pakistan as an ally in the fight against terror groups.
