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ASSESSING U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PRIORITIES

IN SOUTH ASIA

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

APRIL 30, 2014

Serial No. 113–139

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ or

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

(II)

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

MATT SALMON, Arizona 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina 

ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

TOM COTTON, Arkansas 

PAUL COOK, California 

GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

DOUG COLLINS, Georgia 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

LUKE MESSER, Indiana 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey 

GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia 

THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

KAREN BASS, California 

WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois 

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, Massachusetts 

AMI BERA, California 

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas

AMY PORTER, Chief of Staff THOMAS SHEEHY, Staff Director

JASON STEINBAUM, Democratic Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio, Chairman 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

MATT SALMON, Arizona 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

DOUG COLLINS, Georgia 

LUKE MESSER, Indiana 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

AMI BERA, California 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia 

WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

WITNESSES 

The Honorable Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State .................................................... 6

Ms. Denise Rollins, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau for Asia, U.S. Agency 

for International Development ............................................................................ 17

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING 

The Honorable Nisha Biswal: Prepared statement .............................................. 9

Ms. Denise Rollins: Prepared statement ............................................................... 19

APPENDIX 

Hearing notice .......................................................................................................... 36

Hearing minutes ...................................................................................................... 37

The Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, a Representative in Congress from the 

Commonwealth of Virginia: Prepared statement .............................................. 38

Written response from the Honorable Nisha Biswal to question submitted 

for the record by the Honorable Steve Chabot, a Representative in Congress 

from the State of Ohio, and chairman, Subcommittee on Asia and the 

Pacific .................................................................................................................... 41

(1)

ASSESSING U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE 

PRIORITIES IN SOUTH ASIA 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ASIA AND THE PACIFIC,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:01 p.m., in room 

2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Steve Chabot (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Mr. CHABOT. Good afternoon. The Subcommittee on Asia and the 

Pacific welcomes everyone here this afternoon. I am Steve Chabot, 

chair of the subcommittee. I want to thank the gentleman from 

California, Mr. Ami Bera, for serving as today’s ranking member 

and also thank the other distinguished people that are here this 

afternoon; especially our panel of experts here. 

Mr. Bera and I will each make opening statements of approximately 5 minutes and then other members, as they come in will 

have an opportunity for a minute to also make an opening statement. Then we will hear from the panel members, and then we will 

go to questions. I will begin with my statement now. 

Today’s hearing was called with the intention of following up on 

Secretary Kerry’s and Administrator Shah’s testimonies at the full 

committee in March and early April, but with an exclusive focus 

on South Asia. This will give members the opportunity to ask more 

specific questions, both about the Fiscal Year 2015 proposed budget, as well as U.S. strategy throughout the region. 

South Asia continues to be the source of many of the most critical challenges to U.S. national security and will likely continue to 

be in the future. Straddling the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Java and South China Seas, South Asia bridges a 

world fraught with political uprisings and civil strife to one that 

will help to drive global politics and the world’s economy. The region encompasses the world’s largest democracy; the second most 

populous nation; one of the poorest countries in the world, and a 

booming youth population making up nearly 70 percent of the region’s entire population. 

As the center of the Indian Ocean sphere that extends from the 

Middle East to India and south to Indonesia, South Asia is a subregion in need of strategic stability. The challenges there are multifaceted and incredibly complex. Nearly every country that we will 

discuss today—India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the 

Maldives—is trying to lift its population out of extreme poverty, 

2

trying to foster greater economic development, and fighting to 

eradicate transnational terrorist threats. As a result, the Fiscal 

Year 2015 budget must focus on enhancing economic openness, improving political freedoms, and promoting democratic governance. 

I am troubled by the fact that 80 percent of the budget for South 

Asia is earmarked by solely three Presidential Initiatives; the Global Health Initiative, Feed the Future, and Global Climate Change 

programs. This leaves very little room for responding to the unexpected. We cannot ignore the broader national security threats this 

area of the world faces—especially its growing susceptibility to extremist groups. 

While Afghanistan may not be within the jurisdiction of this particular subcommittee, the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan this year certainly remains one of the most immediate 

challenges facing the South Asia region. There are enduring fears 

that if the withdrawal is not handled well, the long-term victim 

will be regional stability. While one of the administration’s priorities for assistance in the region is advancing economic integration 

with its New Silk Road programs, the U.S. also needs to find a way 

to navigate the ongoing economic and security transitions in Afghanistan with balancing Pakistan and Indian interests. 

The U.S. has been encouraging India to take a greater role in Afghanistan, and India has listened by cultivating strong ties there; 

but, Pakistan is fearful of those ties, creating a precarious balancing act. How elections in Afghanistan and India will impact this 

relationship and future stability in the region remains to be seen. 

South Asia is also in the midst of a potentially region-wide political shift. By midsummer, nearly every country in South Asia will 

have completed nationwide elections over the past year—Bhutan, 

Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. That 

is a tremendous opportunity for change—good and bad. 

As we saw in Bangladesh earlier this year, the rivalry between 

its major political parties left the country in complete turmoil. I 

happened to be there some months back and met with both of the 

leaders there. Rival factions held Bangladesh’s democratic process 

hostage, initiated protests that killed hundreds of people, and 

wreaked havoc on the economy. This resulted in a sham election 

in which only 10 percent of Bangladesh’s 154 million voters participated. One must be concerned, I believe, about the long-term impact of this ongoing political quagmire. 

Bangladesh is a nation we have extolled as the region’s moderate, tolerant, and democratic partner in our fight to end violent 

extremism. One can only wonder how the current state of political 

instability in the country will affect that role. I know Assistant Secretary Biswal has traveled to Bangladesh and has spent a great 

deal of time on the current state of affairs there, and I hope we 

can discuss the situation in some detail during this hearing. 

In Sri Lanka, we continue to be frustrated by reports of human 

rights violations, religious intolerance, heavy-handed military presence in the northern region, and failure to integrate the minority 

Tamil population into government and police agencies. Most recently, we have heard of the government’s intention to scrutinize 

funding received by NGOs. I hope our witnesses this afternoon can 

focus on how U.S. assistance to Sri Lanka is benefiting the current 

3

situation and what, if any, plans the administration has to adjust 

our programs accordingly. 

Finally, let me address what I think we can all agree on: The incredible display of democracy that we are witnessing in India. Over 

a 5-week period, nearly 800 million people will go to the polls to 

elect their leaders. One can argue that India’s diversity and growing pains are united by the bedrock of its Constitution which allows for a liberal democratic order—surely a model for the region. 

In India, we do continue to have concerns about protection of the 

human rights of women and minorities, and preservation of religious liberties, particularly concerning rights of Christians and others, and I hope we can all also address those concerns today. 

While I haven’t mentioned Nepal or the Maldives, which also 

face important challenges of their own, I hope that our witnesses 

today will also discuss U.S. priorities in those countries. 

I would now like to recognize the acting ranking member, Mr. 

Bera, for his opening statement. The gentleman is recognized for 

5 minutes. 

Mr. BERA. Thank you, Chairman Chabot, for calling this important hearing about the administration’s Fiscal Year 2015 priorities 

for South Asia. 

Our policy in Asia, as you have already mentioned, is at a critical 

juncture, and we must reassure our allies and partners that we are 

committed to the region, particularly India. India remains a strategic partner and geopolitical partner for Washington. This month, 

as you have already mentioned, India launched its 6-week election 

campaign to democratically elect its next leaders. 

Now, this is a country of over 1.2 billion individuals and more 

than 800 million eligible voters. This is democracy in action. It obviously is a massive undertaking, but it only underscores the importance of India as an ally as the world’s largest responsible and 

thriving democracy. And regardless of who wins the election, I 

think it is an opportune time for the United States to broaden our 

ties with India and reestablish a trajectory of growth that was remarkable in the last decade. We also have an opportunity with a 

new U.S. Ambassador to India who can also help pave the way toward resettling ties and strengthening our economic relationship. 

As I mentioned previously, in previous hearings, India is one of 

our top 20 trading partners. Trade between the United States and 

India now tops nearly $100 billion annually in goods and services. 

And as the Vice President has mentioned, there is no reason that 

we can’t get that trajectory to quintuple over this next decade and 

take it from $100 billion to $500 billion, benefits both countries and 

benefits and strengthens our ties. And it is in our strategic interest, which go far beyond our own borders. 

India also, working with USAID and others, has now gone from 

a traditional aid recipient to becoming a true peer-to-peer partner 

that is able to harness its own strengths and capabilities and partner with the United States. The administration and India are 

working on tackling various development challenges in other countries. For example, both India and the United States are working 

closely together to mitigate food insecurity in Africa. With USAID’s 

assistance, India has enthusiastically jumped in to host and train 

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tural best practices that lead to sustainability and make their 

farms more productive. 

India also, as the chairman has mentioned, has played a critical 

role and will continue to play a critical role in economic and infrastructure development in Afghanistan. The trilateral relationship 

between the United States, India, and Afghanistan is incredibly 

important to help maintain the stability of the region, particularly 

in 2014, as the United States goes through its transition. 

In addition, India is incredibly important in the interconnectivity 

of the region and with its neighbor and partner countries. It can 

provide geopolitical stability by promoting trade, building infrastructure, and doing business with its partners. 

In addition, our people-to-people contact is also extremely important. More than 50 percent of India’s population is under the age 

of 30, and approximately 150 million people are eligible to vote for 

the first time this year. 

Since India has one of the world’s youngest populations, we 

should also focus on helping India build its system of higher education, both its universities, but also its trade and technical capacity. This is a dividend that not only benefits both India, but also 

the benefit to the United States would be priceless. One possibility 

arising from investing in Indian higher education would be to provide our students more opportunities to study in India as well, 

thereby strengthening both our cultural and economic ties, while 

also building India’s workforce. 

As a proud Indian-American, I look forward to intensifying our 

alliance with India by fostering innovation, education, security, and 

economic engagement. 

I want to thank Assistant Secretary Biswal and Acting Administrator Rollins for joining us today, and I look forward to your testimony. 

And with that, I yield back, Chairman. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. 

If any members would like to make an opening statement for 1 

minute; I will recognize first of all the gentleman from California, 

Mr. Rohrabacher, who is the chairman of the Europe, Eurasia, and 

Emerging Threats Subcommittee. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

We have these hearings, and we are actually supposed to talk 

about the big picture, but they also are supposed to understand the 

details, and that is what these hearings are all about. The big picture has dramatically changed in this part of the world in the last 

20 years. The big picture used to be that the United States was in 

a Cold War, and Pakistan was our ally and India was allied with 

our enemy, the Soviet Union. Now there is no more Soviet Union, 

and what you have is Pakistan, our former ally, now allied with 

perhaps the greatest threat that we face today, now that the Soviet 

Union has disappeared, and that is an expanding totalitarian 

China. 

Mr. Chairman, I don’t find it at all a balancing act that we have 

to conduct. Pakistan is on the side of our enemy. India is now on 

our side. We should reestablish our priorities and make sure that 

India becomes our best friend the same way Pakistan was during 

the Cold War. That was a different era. I look forward to expandVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:54 Jun 03, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AP\043014\87714 SHIRL
5

ing on that thought and hearing from our witnesses and how that 

truism, which I think is a truism, or observation, will impact our 

policies in the rest of that region. Thank you very much. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. 

Now the gentleman from California, Mr. Sherman, is recognized 

for making an opening statement. He is the ranking member of the 

Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee. 

Mr. SHERMAN. Assistant Secretary Biswal, welcome back to 2172. 

This committee and this House passed a bill to provide for a special envoy on religious minorities in the Middle East and South 

Asia, expressing the will of the entire House that that be a real 

focus of the State Department. Now, the Senate hasn’t exactly established that office, so, as is typical of Congress, we would like 

you to accomplish the goals without providing you with any additional money or staffing. But I think Congress has shown what you 

already know, and that is how important it is to focus on these religious minorities, and I hope that your bureau would focus on the 

Hindu minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

Ms. Rollins, thank you for your focus on the far region of Sindh 

and providing 250 million metric tons to deal with the drought. 

Thank you, and please do more. 

In addition, we have a chance to focus on Sri Lanka at the conclusion of a civil war there. There are some 90,000 war widows. 

And I hope that your program would focus on that, would focus on 

the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons, particularly from the north and the east. And this is a chance to be creative with programs target on intercommunal harmony and ethnic 

reconciliation. 

So I wish I could appropriate more funds so that you could do 

all these things, but knowing the skill of both of you, I am counting 

on you to get them done. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. Gentleman’s time has expired. 

I will now introduce our distinguished panel here this afternoon. 

I will begin with Nisha Biswal, who was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs last October. 

Previously, Ms. Biswal served as Assistant Administrator for Asia 

at USAID. During Ms. Biswal’s tenure, USAID reopened its mission in Burma and transitioned its programs in various countries 

to global partnerships in development cooperation. Ms. Biswal also 

worked in the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and the 

Office of Transition Initiatives, and served as chief of staff in the 

Management Bureau while at USAID. Before USAID, Ms. Biswal 

served as the majority clerk for the House Appropriations Foreign 

Operations Subcommittee and as professional staff for the House 

Foreign Affairs Committee, where she was responsible for South 

Asia. Ms. Biswal has also worked at InterAction and at the American Red Cross, where she served as an international delegate in 

Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. 

We welcome you here this afternoon. You have spoken many 

times before this committee and you are always a welcomed guest. 

I will also introduce our second witness, Denise Rollins, who has 

been a member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service and has more 

than 25 years of international experience. She has served as 

6

USAID’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Asia 

since September of last year. Prior to that, Ms. Rollins was Senior 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, where she was responsible for 

overseeing USAID’s Asia portfolio. Prior to her appointment to the 

Asia Bureau, she was USAID’s Mission Director in Bangladesh. 

She has additionally served as USAID’s Deputy Mission Director in 

South Africa, where she oversaw development programs addressing 

health, education, local government, and private sector development. Before joining USAID, Ms. Rollins served as the senior program officer at the Africa-American Institute and a legislative assistant for two Members of Congress. And she is a native of Detroit, Michigan. 

We welcome you both here. I am sure you are familiar with the 

rules. You will have 5 minutes. There is a lighting system and the 

yellow light will remind you that you have 1 minute to wrap up. 

We would ask you to stay within the 5 minutes, if at all possible. 

We will keep ourselves within the 5 minutes as well. 

Ms. Biswal, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE NISHA BISWAL, ASSISTANT 

SECRETARY, BUREAU OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Ms. BISWAL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I almost feel like I 

could dispense with an opening statement because both of you were 

so comprehensive in your own statements about the region, and 

there is very little difference or distinction in what I have to add. 

Nonetheless, I ask that my full statement be entered into the 

record, and I will summarize a few key points. 

Mr. CHABOT. Without objection, so ordered. 

Ms. BISWAL. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Bera, members of 

the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify today. It is 

an honor for me always to appear before this committee, in particular, and a pleasure to be here alongside my good friend and colleague, Denise Rollins. 

Mr. Chairman, the President’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget request 

for South Asia comes in at just shy of $350 million, not including 

the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it recognizes the 

important role that the United States continues to play in supporting democratic development and promoting economic opportunity in the region. 

This hearing is particularly timely given the historic transitions 

that are now underway in South Asia. You both have commented 

on the incredible display of democracy going on in India, with 800 

million eligible voters. And India’s democratic development, its rise 

as a confident and capable power that advances regional stability, 

security, and prosperity, is something that the United States welcomes and supports. 

And the U.S.-India relationship has continued to mature, deepen, 

and grow over successive administrations in both countries. We 

continue to facilitate growth in our trade relationship and ensure 

new opportunities for businesses in each other’s markets. Our collaboration on energy, science and technology, environment, space, 

education, and counterterrorism continues to deepen. And our security cooperation, Mr. Chairman, with India is a central element of 

7

the broad U.S.-India strategic partnership. We look forward to 

working closely with the next Indian Government to build on these 

efforts. 

In Bangladesh, the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza factory 1 

year ago has galvanized an international movement to strengthen 

worker safety and labor rights in Bangladesh. And while much remains to be done, the United States and other international partners have helped make significant progress in Bangladesh over the 

past year. 

Nepal has also made significant strides, building democratic institutions after years of conflict. Both Bangladesh and Nepal, due 

in large part to our assistance programs, are both on track to 

achieve their Millennium Development Goals related to child and 

maternal mortality and have both significantly improved food security for their people. 

In Sri Lanka, while we saw the end of a brutal conflict in 2009, 

the country is still undergoing a fragile transition. And while we 

are disappointed that the government has failed over the past 4 

years to take adequate and meaningful steps to support accountability and reconciliation, the United States is committed to working with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen 

its democracy and to help the country move toward a more durable 

pace. 

Mr. Chairman, given the elections and transitions underway in 

this region, now is a time of enormous opportunity to help shape 

a more promising future for the people across South Asia. And 

under President Obama and Secretary Kerry’s leadership, we are 

doubling down, so to speak, in Asia. Despite many challenges, including weak regional architecture, high poverty rates, and limited 

regional infrastructure, we can envision a future where Asian 

economies are connected through trade and transit, from Central 

Asia to South Asia to Southeast Asia and beyond. 

The administration has placed a strategic bet on regional economic connectivity through our New Silk Road and Indo-Pacific 

Economic Corridor initiatives. We know that peace and stability 

are much more likely to be sustained when the countries of the region are tied together in trade and when their economies and their 

people are invested in each other. 

Earlier in this month, Afghans turned out in record numbers to 

vote, defying threats, intimidation, and violence. Their courage and 

determination to protect their democracy shows that they are committed to a better future for themselves and their children, a future 

where a more stable and secure and prosperous Afghanistan is connected to a stable, secure, and prosperous region. 

On the eastern front of South Asia, we see real opportunity to 

connect South and Southeast Asia in light of the historic transition 

undergoing in Burma. The improvement of relations between India 

and Bangladesh and the growing ties between India and its 

ASEAN counterparts allow for more efficient, integrated, and open 

markets across the region. 

But clearly one of the biggest obstacles to regional connectivity 

is India and Pakistan. Trade normalization between these two historic rivals could be a game changer. And we have been encouraged 

by positive signs from Islamabad and New Delhi that things may 

8

be moving in the right direction. We are hopeful that we will see 

strong leadership from both governments following India’s election. 

Mr. Chairman, let me just conclude by saying that as I look out 

over the horizon and assess the challenges and opportunities for 

the United States in South Asia, I am struck by the enormous potential of a region that will be increasingly consequential to our interests in the years ahead. Much of the story of the 21st century 

will be written in this part of Asia, this part of the world where 

a little goes a long way and where our assistance have tremendous 

positive impact on the ground. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I would be happy to take questions. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Biswal follows:]

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Mr. CHABOT. Ms. Rollins, you are recognized for 5 minutes. 

STATEMENT OF MS. DENISE ROLLINS, ACTING ASSISTANT 

SECRETARY, BUREAU FOR ASIA, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and distinguished members of the committee. 

Mr. CHABOT. Could you turn the microphone on and pull it a little bit closer so everybody in the room can hear? 

Ms. ROLLINS. All righty. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. I am delighted to be able to testify today 

on the role of the United States Agency for International Development in addressing U.S. foreign policy priorities and development 

assistance needs in South Asia. 

South Asia has enjoyed steady growth that has helped lift millions out of poverty while building important new markets for 

American exports. At the same time, it remains home to weak governance systems, persistent natural disasters, and two-fifths of the 

world’s extreme poor, presenting development challenges on a 

grand scale. 

USAID works across the region to ensure countries grow peacefully and sustainably and contribute to greater global stability. Our 

assistance promotes economic growth and democratic opportunity, 

invests in people and institutions, and strengthens physical and 

human security for all ethnic groups, women, and other 

marginalized populations. 

Our approach is threefold. First, we are advancing regional economic integration that accelerates the growth of tomorrow’s trade 

partners while yielding greater stability across South and Central 

Asia and Afghanistan. Second, we are building pathways out of 

poverty through the three presidential initiatives: The Global 

Health Initiative, Feed the Future, and the Global Climate Change 

Initiative. And, finally, we are institutionalizing USAID’s new development model in Asia, which leverages science, technology, innovation, and partnerships to maximize cost effectiveness and impact. 

Through these primary approaches, we have achieved impressive 

gains. Through programs addressing South Asia’s mounting energy 

challenges, we celebrated a major step forward last December with 

the completion of a transmission line between India and Bangladesh that will facilitate electricity trade for the first time between these two countries. 

We assisted India in eradicating polio, a remarkable feat for a 

country that reported more the half the global polio cases up till 

2009. 

And in cyclone-prone Bangladesh, where I served as USAID’s 

mission director, we helped end rice deficiencies by partnering with 

regional scientists to develop saltwater-tolerant rice seeds that can 

survive prolonged flooding and by introducing technology that 

places fertilizer under the soil where it is less likely to be washed 

away. 

Through our FY 2015 budget, as my colleague has said, the request for 350 million, we will be supporting U.S. foreign policy priVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:54 Jun 03, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AP\043014\87714 SHIRL
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orities through development assistance to India, Bangladesh, 

Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Funding will help us seize an 

unprecedented opportunity across Asia to leverage new talent and 

resources from universities to emerging donors. 

Nowhere is that opportunity more evident than India, where we 

are transforming our development approach with an indispensable 

U.S. partner to harness the strength and capabilities of both countries, and particularly focused on tackling the development challenges of the day. We are partnering with India to share proven innovations and best practices with other developing countries across 

Asia and Africa. And we are deepening our engagement in India 

on shared regional and multilateral goals, including advancing the 

administration’s vision of the New Silk Road. 

In Bangladesh, where we continue to focus on labor rights amid 

heightened international concern, we are strengthening democratic 

governance while carrying out a whole host of other programming 

to reduce rampant poverty, from Feed the Future to global health 

and environment programs. 

In Nepal, we are supporting a nascent democracy and implementing a new Community Resilience Program launched by Administrator Shah just 2 months ago. This program will comprehensively address the needs of the extreme poor, while increasing their 

ability to cope with drought, flooding, or natural disasters. 

In Sri Lanka, our assistance will continue to focus on reconciliation and civil liberties to ensure the United States remains engaged in a positive, visible way to protect and expand the space for 

those advocating for freedom of speech and human rights. Given 

the progressively difficult political space in which we are operating, 

we are deepening our engagement in Sri Lanka with civil society 

and increasing direct support to nongovernmental organizations to 

bolster local capacity, to sustain progress toward long-term peace 

and inclusive development. 

And finally, Mr. Chairman, in the Maldives, a country in political 

transition, our assistance will continue to mitigate the impacts of 

climate change on the economy and way of life, an absolute imperative given the country’s highest point is only 8 feet above the rising 

sea level. 

Mr. Chairman, I would like to conclude by saying that stability 

and progress in South Asia is critical to our future. By continuing 

USAID support to this region to save lives, strengthen democracies, 

and expand opportunities, we are also advancing our own prosperity and security. 

I appreciate the opportunity to testify today and look forward to 

your counsel and questions. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Rollins follows:]

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Mr. CHABOT. We appreciate both of your testimonies this afternoon. Now we will take 5 minutes each to ask questions. I will recognize myself first. 

I will begin with you, Ms. Biswal, if I can. As I mentioned in my 

opening statement, I am concerned that 80 percent of the South 

Asia budget is earmarked for the Global Health Initiative, Feed the 

Future, and Global Climate Change programs—$276 million out of 

the $345 million. 

Can you explain how this impacts the flexibility in the budget to 

respond to crises or needed changes in priorities? South Asia, because of its geographic location and history, has a potential to become a breeding ground for terrorist activity. So how does the 

budget allow for room to address these issues? 

Ms. BISWAL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think that is a very important question. 

First of all, as we see, some of the critical challenges facing the 

region are challenges of poverty and human development. And 

therefore focus on food security, on health, and on sustainable development to help the region cope with the effects of climate 

change and mitigate and adapt to climate change I think are certainly very, very important priorities, especially because 1.6 billion 

people are inhabiting this region. So the needs of the population is 

an important aspect of stability and security in the region. 

We are, however, making sure that we have the room and the 

flexibility to be able to address issues of democracy and governance, issues of economic connectivity and trade, and also ensure 

that we are doing more and better on counterterrorism and on security cooperation. 

One of the things that we have sought to do over the years is 

try to reserve some level of assistance or some level of funding for 

regional programs where we can use those funds as targets of opportunity open up across the South and Central Asia region. And 

we will continue to look for some flexibility in regional funding to 

augment the bilateral program so that we can respond to new challenges and new opportunities in the region. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. 

Ms. Rollins, let me turn to you if I can. In your testimony, you 

discuss that USAID’s priorities in Sri Lanka are to deepen engagement with civil society groups that protect human rights and promote democracy and good governance, which we certainly would 

agree with. At the same time, you acknowledge that the ability for 

USAID to carry out much of its programming in these areas is becoming increasingly difficult. 

In light of recent news that the Government of Sri Lanka will 

amend current laws regarding foreign funding to NGOs in order to 

more closely scrutinize what organizations receive, are you concerned that this could negatively impact which organizations we 

can fund and the effectiveness of our assistance to support the priorities that you listed? 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for that 

question. 

We are very concerned about the closing space for civil society in 

Sri Lanka. We are working with a number of local partners to continue to fund these organizations. We are working not only in the 

27

north and the east—as you know, we have had a very robust humanitarian assistance program in the north and the east, those 

populations that were affected by the civil war—but we are actually now in the process of expanding to work more with youth organizations to really kind of double down on reconciliation. What we 

have discovered is that we have spent—that the north and the 

south are areas that really need our assistance, but we want to 

make sure that populations in the south and populations in the 

north have opportunities to really work on some of the challenging 

community issues and get to know each other better. So we are 

working on reconciliation. But we believe that we will be able to 

continue doing our work and funding those organizations. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. I have only a short period of time left, 

but I will go back to you, Ms. Biswal. 

I mentioned I had been in Bangladesh shortly before the elections and met with both Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia. I have 

met with them previously, both here and over there. I know them 

somewhat. When you talk to them, obviously, their point of views 

are very different. They are very strong leaders. Unfortunately, 

they don’t particularly care for each other’s point of views. As far 

as the election goes, as I had mentioned in my opening statement, 

only 10 percent of the people turned out to vote. 

What is the administration doing, either in the background or 

out front, to encourage a resolution of this matter and a real election so that we don’t get 10 percent, but a lot higher number and 

you have a legitimate government in place? 

Ms. BISWAL. Mr. Chairman, first of all, let me just thank you for 

the very timely visit that you made to Bangladesh and the important contribution you made toward trying to reach some sort of political dialogue. Your ongoing engagement and the interest of the 

U.S. Congress has been an important factor. 

We have pressed the government on political inclusion because 

we believe that all of the gains that Bangladesh has made in its 

economy, in its development trajectory, that all of those gains are 

fragile and unsustainable in the long term if it does not have political stability, and political stability is not possible without some 

greater degree of political inclusion. So this I think is both a shortterm and a long-term undertaking for us in our engagement with 

the Bangladeshi Government and with Bangladeshi people writ 

large and civil society organizations. 

In the short term, I don’t think we have seen a tremendous 

amount of movement. But we continue to engage with our counterparts in the international community as well as with the United 

Nations on trying press for support to the Election Commission, 

support to political parties at the grassroots level, and processes 

that can help create a more inclusive environment. I can’t say to 

you that we have made tremendous progress in the short term, but 

I think we are committed to staying engaged in the long term to 

try to move this forward. 

Mr. CHABOT. Okay. Thank you. I would just encourage the administration, either behind the scenes or to the extent they are 

able to do everything possible to encourage a resolution of this because if it is not resolved, I am afraid the violence is going to escalate. They are an ally, a good ally, of the United States and one 

28

that has traditionally been looked upon as a model for a moderate 

Muslim country—it could become just the opposite. We don’t want 

to see that happen. 

I now recognize the gentleman from California, the ranking 

member, Mr. Bera. 

Mr. BERA. Thank you, Chairman Chabot. 

Both of us in our opening statements and both of our witnesses 

mentioned historic transitions in a very rapid timeframe. We all 

reference India’s historic elections and the real opportunity as 

these elections come to a close and a new leader emerges in India 

to reestablish very strong ties with a close ally. 

The importance of this is underscored with India’s role in the 

interconnectivity of the region. Both of you in your opening testimony made reference not only to the importance of this 

interconnectivity, building regional trade relationships, looking for 

additional trade normalization between India and Pakistan, and 

then certainly, underlying that, looking at how to address the energy needs. Ms. Rollins referenced the energy connection between 

India and Bangladesh as well. 

Maybe we will start with Ms. Biswal. If you would like to expand 

on the possibilities of what is possible there as we go through this 

transition and that interconnectivity. 

Ms. BISWAL. Thank you, Congressman. We think that there is a 

tremendous amount of potential and possibility for further deepening and expanding the U.S.-India relationship. The past decade 

and a half has seen just an exponential growth in the way that our 

two countries engage and the points of connectivity between our societies. That growth has been through successive administrations 

in the United States, Democratic and Republican. It has been 

through successive administrations and governments in India, 

BJP-led and Congress-led. 

And we look forward to the outcome of this election and we look 

forward to engagement with the new government that will take 

this to new heights. We see opportunity in expanding defense cooperation. We see opportunity, as you noted and as the Vice President challenged us, in growing our trade relationship from the very 

substantial 100 billion two-way trade that we have currently to a 

500 billion two-way trade over the next decade. 

We see opportunity in India’s efforts to expand its Look East policy, its connectivity to ASEAN. We have a trilateral dialogue between the United States, India, and Japan that is focused on that 

connectivity. And we see opportunity in connecting India and South 

Asia to Central Asia. So the scope for expanding our governmentto-government, our business-to-business, our people-to-people ties 

is tremendous as we look at the years ahead. 

Mr. BERA. Great. And, again, I think to paraphrase that, a 

strong India and a strong ally in India helps stabilize the region 

and then also creates opportunities as it looks east and partners 

with its neighbor countries. 

Ms. Rollins, if you might want to expand on some of the role of 

USAID in helping that interconnectivity and that partnership. 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you very much, Mr. Congressman. 

Over the last 2 years we have at USAID really transformed our 

relationship with India, so that—and I believe you mentioned that 

29

in your opening statement—that we are no longer looking at this 

as donor/recipient, but as partners. 

And India is particularly interested in working in other areas of 

the world. And so we have partnered with them on really looking 

at how can we leverage their creative, innovative technologies and 

use those technologies for development programs in other parts of 

the world. So, for example, you mentioned the agricultural training 

that goes on in India and India’s institutions. And they go back to 

their countries and actually begin to implement some of those programs so that they can increase agricultural production. 

Also, one of the activities that we are very excited about is called 

the Millennium Alliance, and that is where we have partnered with 

the Government of India as well as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to catalyze local solutions to development challenges. 

Mr. BERA. Great. Thank you. 

I see that I am almost out of time. So with that, I will actually 

yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. The gentleman yields back. 

The gentleman from California, Mr. Rohrabacher, is recognized 

5 minutes. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Thank you very much. 

I think it is fascinating to see that India and Pakistan started 

off pretty much the same back in the 1940s when there was the 

split, and that Pakistan now and India seem to be going in totally 

different directions. And I think that India people are projecting 

very positive things for India. I don’t know if they are projecting 

it for Pakistan or not. 

And am I correct in assuming that if indeed this is the case, 

where India is outpacing Pakistan, although they are basically of 

the same similar racial background and similar type of people, but 

they have different relationships to religion, number one, which is 

part of their system in Pakistan, and you have more freedom of religion in India; education, which in India has really placed an important priority on education, and Pakistan seems to have been relegated in education to madrassas and radical Islamic information 

distribution centers; and also, finally, and correct me if I am wrong, 

has not India gone out of its way to make sure that half of its population is not so discriminated against that they can’t make the 

contribution to their society, namely, women? Are these observations on my part, are they in the ballpark or am I just philosophizing about something that doesn’t exist? I am asking both of 

you. That is fine. 

Ms. BISWAL. Mr. Rohrabacher, the way that I would frame it is 

that increasingly what we are hearing from, whether it is Pakistan, 

whether it is Afghanistan, whether it is any of the countries in the 

region, is that they see that having trade, having connectivity with 

their neighbors is fundamentally in their interest, that you cannot 

have a viable economy in today’s world without being able to have 

those relationships. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. I will have to admit, I didn’t mention trade 

in any of those. Treatment of women, education, and that type of 

thing. 

30

Ms. BISWAL. We certainly think that an inclusive society, an inclusive economy, a tolerant society, a tolerant and inclusive society 

is going to be a more stable and more prosperous one. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Right. And I think that surely we should 

keep an eye on this to see exactly what the type of values and freedom mean to people’s uplifting of their standard of living. Certainly, I think if you relegate half of your population to inferior 

roles or having to wear outfits that they can’t even look through 

or something, that that is no way to build an economy. You are cutting yourself off from a huge amount of wealth production that 

way. One last thought about our Government’s policy. This $40 million 

that we are talking about to the Maldives and to that area of the 

world dealing with climate change, and you mentioned the 

Maldives and the rising water, how can we spend money that will 

prevent the ocean from rising? First of all, first question, is there 

any specific evidence? What do we have that says that the ocean 

level is rising and that this is due to a manmade global warming? 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you, Mr. Rohrabacher. So in the Maldives we are looking at $2 million in 2015——

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Two million. What are we doing with $2 mil- lion. Even if it is $2 million, I mean, if you are talking about the 

oceans going up, some of us have trouble thinking that this is 

caused by humankind. But one way or the other, what do you do 

with $2 million that is going to deter the ocean from rising? 

Ms. ROLLINS. We have two primary environmental projects: One 

is working to save the coral reefs, the other one is focused on water 

management for one of the islands. The Maldives is comprised of 

1,100 islands. So we are working on two that are the most vulnerable. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Okay. And you say that the reefs, saving the 

reefs and these things will trace back to the idea of global warming. But then again of course we can agree to compromise and say 

that there are environmental challenges that include the reefs and 

these things that may not have anything do with the internal combustion engine and the production of CO2. So I accept that. Thank 

you very much. 

Ms. ROLLINS. Thank you. 

Mr. CHABOT. Gentleman’s time has expired. 

The gentlelady from Hawaii, Ms. Gabbard, is recognized for 5 

minutes. 

Ms. GABBARD. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you both for joining us today here. 

I am wondering if you can speak briefly, I have two questions, 

the first one on the growing and strengthening China-Pakistan relationship, with recent investments from China, multibillion-dollar 

investments really being welcomed by Pakistan. I am curious about 

how this impacts the dynamic both with India and overall within 

the region, either directly or indirectly impacting the New Silk 

Road economic initiative. 

Ms. BISWAL. Thank you, Congresswoman. What I would note is 

that we don’t believe in a closed or exclusive trade architecture. We 

believe that infrastructure connectivity, trade connectivity, needs to 

go in all directions, north, south, east, and west, and that 

31

connectivity in trade to China is important for the region, just as 

connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia or between 

South Asia and Southeast Asia. It needs to go in all directions. 

When you start having more exclusive arrangement, that is when 

we think it, one, closes off opportunity; two, creates unstable dependencies; and, three, fundamentally doesn’t serve the interests of 

the people of the region. 

And so what we have been very careful to note to our counterparts, whether it be China or Russia or anyone else, is that we 

want to support economic ties that go in all directions, that create 

open, rules-based trade systems. And, therefore, our efforts in the 

region are in augmenting and supplementing some of the historic 

ties that have already been put in place that go in one direction. 

We are trying to make those expand in multiple directions. And so 

we are trying to take the connectivity that may exist, for example, 

between Pakistan and China and try to also expand that to include 

Central Asia and South Asia. 

Ms. GABBARD. What do you think is the critical component to 

getting India and Pakistan to overcome their differences as you 

move forward with these new initiatives? 

Ms. BISWAL. You know, I think that the population in both countries overwhelmingly support improved relations and certainly increased economic activity. I think that there is increasing recognition in both countries that for both economies to grow, for both 

countries to achieve their goals and aspirations, that they need to 

be able to trade with each other. And we are hopeful that that recognition will result in some concrete actions in the coming weeks 

and months as the election in India concludes and a new government comes into place. 

Ms. GABBARD. And lastly, we have coming up later this year in 

primarily May and June the RIMPAC exercises. And as you know, 

this will be the first year that both India and China will be participating. It is the largest international exercise, it will be the 24th 

one that has occurred. 

And I am wondering if you can talk maybe a little bit more generally about our military-to-military engagements, both with India, 

but also across South Asia, and how this is developing—I don’t 

really like the word ‘‘rebalance’’ or ‘‘pivot’’—but as we look toward 

investing further within the Asia-Pacific region. 

Ms. BISWAL. Well, I would respond by first noting that we do 

more exercises between the United States and India than virtually 

any other country. The relationship, the defense cooperation, the 

security cooperation between the United States and India has 

grown exponentially over the past decade, and it has grown because we see that a more capable Indian security presence is a 

force for stability across the region. And so we want to support that 

and invest in that capability. 

We also see that doing joint exercises across the Asian space 

again enhances stability and security for all of the countries of that 

region and is therefore fundamentally in our own interest. And so 

we have seen a stepping up of those exercises with multiple players 

and multiple parties. We noted that India invited Japan to participate in the Malabar exercises, and we hope that those are again 

32

trend lines that will continue to grow and expand in the coming 

years. 

We are also seeing Bangladesh taking on a greater role, particularly in peacekeeping. And we see that again that there is great 

scope for engaging with and supporting Bangladesh’s role over the 

coming years. We have made it very clear, though, with all of the 

countries in the region that part and parcel of our ability to engage 

and expand our cooperation on defense and security issues that respect for human rights and the rule of law and ensuring that the 

military plays a very clear role in its bounds and its operations 

within the country, that those are very, very important to us in 

terms of how we engage with that military. 

Ms. GABBARD. Thank you very much. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. The gentlelady yields back. 

We will now go into a second round if any other members are interested in asking questions. It may not be a full 5 minutes but I 

will begin with myself. 

Let me turn to Nepal for just a moment. Ms. Biswal, in your testimony you mentioned that the State Department continues to regularly engage with the Nepali Government on the ‘‘gentleman’s 

agreement’’ which allows recently arrived Tibetan refugees to 

transmit through Nepal to India under the protection of UNHCR. 

Earlier this month, a human rights report documented the repression faced by Tibetans who cross into Nepal, raising concerns that 

Nepal in some cases is forcibly returning Tibetans to China. While 

I understand the gentleman’s agreement is more of a provisional 

arrangement, this is concerning. 

Can you provide us with more details about your engagement 

with Nepal on this issue, the challenges you have encountered and 

whether you are seeing a situation in which China’s influence there 

is superseding any agreements we have with Nepal on this important issue? 

I had an opportunity a couple years back to visit Nepal. While 

in Kathmandu, we went to one of the reception centers where we 

saw and met with several hundred people who had fled from Tibet 

and were on their way to India. Mainly India, but a few to other 

places. So, it is important when you have actually seen the faces, 

and many of them are very young people. If you could respond I 

would appreciate it. 

Ms. BISWAL. Mr. Chairman, let me first note that Nepal has been 

a long and generous host to Tibetan refugees. For more than 50 

years they have hosted refugees and have committed to protect 

those refugees, both the longstanding community as well as the 

new arrivals that are transiting to India. 

We have noted the growing pressure within Nepal, and we are 

engaged with the government on that. And if you don’t mind, what 

I would like to do is take for the record and bring back to you a 

more fulsome response on some of the engagements that our Ambassador has undertaken, as well as our Bureau for Population, 

Refugees, and Migration, which have both been working very closely in addressing those issues. 

Mr. CHABOT. I would greatly appreciate that. I assume it is not 

the same Ambassador now as was there a couple of years ago? 

33

Ms. BISWAL. It is Ambassador Peter Bodde, who arrived in Nepal 

just about 11⁄2 years, 2 years ago. The previous Ambassador was 

Scott DeLisi. 

Mr. CHABOT. Right. Yeah, we were very impressed with him but 

you can continue. I didn’t mean to interrupt you there. 

Ms. BISWAL. No, no, not at all. I think that this has been a very 

high priority for the United States and our engagement in Nepal. 

We have worked with closely with the government to ensure that 

the rights of the Tibetan refugees are respected and that their ability to transit is also facilitated. 

Mr. CHABOT. Okay. Thank you. Let me turn back to India for a 

moment. The administration says that transitioning its assistance 

relationship with India from a donor/recipient to an peer-to-peer 

partnership is one of its greatest achievements and now serves as 

a model for other developing countries. Could you be specific and 

let us know what you mean by that? 

Ms. BISWAL. Sure. Why don’t I make a couple of comments and 

then turn to my colleague from USAID. 

Mr. CHABOT. That is fine. 

Ms. BISWAL. You know, I started that transition when I was at 

USAID a few years ago, and it is fundamentally a recognition that 

while India continues to have many development challenges, it is 

also the source of tremendous development innovation. And so as 

we seek to work with and partner with India, it is on the basis that 

we have as much to learn as we have to provide and that in 

partnering with India in how it addresses development challenges, 

that we can also provide cost-effective solutions at scale in other 

parts of the world. 

And so we are going from a donor/recipient to much more of a 

peer-to-peer relationship where the Indians are putting in resources, both financial resources and in terms of human capital 

and knowledge in how we are addressing, whether it is food security, whether it is health, how we are addressing development challenges through innovation and through public-private partnerships. 

Mr. CHABOT. Okay. Thank you. 

Ms. Rollins, did you want to add a few things? 

Ms. ROLLINS. Sure. I would be happy to, sir. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you. 

Ms. ROLLINS. When we talk about this new dynamic there in 

India, we are looking at how do we engage not only the Indian Government, but the Indian private sector, charitable organizations, 

high net worth individuals, universities, et cetera, in addressing 

development challenges. 

So a little earlier I had mentioned about the Millennium Alliance, which is an example of that, where they matched us 50–50 

in developing this new program that actually goes out and it seeks 

new and innovative proposals to address, it could be on TB, how 

to deal with multidrug-resistant TB; how do you work in communities to encourage more women to have health-seeking behaviors; 

looking at ways in which we can use clean energy more effectively. 

And in this particular program, the Millennium Alliance, actually they received 1,400 proposals that they reviewed, got down to 

about 300, and then eventually provided grants to about 20 different organizations, looking at specific science, technology, innovaVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:54 Jun 03, 2014 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00037 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AP\043014\87714 SHIRL
34

tions that could be at some point scaled up and then of course 

transferred to other countries. 

So I believe when we talk about this new arrangement in India, 

the transformation, we are really talking about expanding our partnerships. And it is not just government to government, but it is 

working with a much broader community in the country to address 

development challenges. 

Mr. CHABOT. Thank you very much. 

I will conclude now. I gave an additional 5 minutes and I could 

go for a long time but I am going to hold myself to that 5 minutes, 

even though we don’t have any other members here, at least up on 

the panel here to hold me to it. I will do it myself. 

In the last Congress, I chaired the Middle East Subcommittee, 

and at that time, South Asia was part of the Middle East Subcommittee. Then things shifted around a bit and now I have Asia 

and the Pacific, which includes South Asia. In the administration’s 

rebalance, or pivot—there are various terms that are thrown 

around—but the emphasis on Asia and how important it is, unfortunately, I think sometimes South Asia and other very important 

countries don’t get the focus that they should, that they deserve, 

they need. And that is not only in their interest, but it is in the 

U.S.’ interest to make sure that the refocusing and rebalancing is 

going to South Asia as well. This hearing this afternoon was part 

of that. 

I want to thank both members of the panel here for giving us excellent testimony and participating. We certainly appreciate it. 

All members will have 5 days to revise their statements or submit additional questions. If there is no further business to come before the committee, we are adjourned. Thank you. 

[Whereupon, at 3:02 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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