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JORDAN: A KEY U.S. PARTNER

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

FEBRUARY 11, 2016

Serial No. 114–157

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 

DARRELL E. ISSA, California 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

PAUL COOK, California 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

CURT CLAWSON, Florida 

SCOTT DESJARLAIS, Tennessee 

REID J. RIBBLE, Wisconsin 

DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan 

LEE M. ZELDIN, New York 

DANIEL DONOVAN, New York 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

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 

AMI BERA, California 

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas 

ROBIN L. KELLY, Illinois 

BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania

AMY PORTER, Chief of Staff THOMAS SHEEHY, Staff Director

JASON STEINBAUM, Democratic Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida, Chairman 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

DARRELL E. ISSA, California 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

CURT CLAWSON, Florida 

DAVID A. TROTT, Michigan 

LEE M. ZELDIN, New York 

THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida 

GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

BRENDAN F. BOYLE, Pennsylvania 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

WITNESSES 

The Honorable Gerald M. Feierstein, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, 

Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, U.S. Department of State ............................. 7

Ms. Paige Alexander, Assistant Administrator, Bureau for the Middle East, 

U.S. Agency for International Development ...................................................... 15

Ms. Fatema Z. Sumar, Regional Deputy Vice President, Europe, Asia, the 

Pacific and Latin America, Department of Compact Operations, Millennium 

Challenge Corporation ......................................................................................... 23

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING 

The Honorable Gerald M. Feierstein: Prepared statement .................................. 10

Ms. Paige Alexander: Prepared statement ............................................................ 17

Ms. Fatema Z. Sumar: Prepared statement .......................................................... 25

APPENDIX 

Hearing notice .......................................................................................................... 38

Hearing minutes ...................................................................................................... 39

Questions submitted for the record by the Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 

a Representative in Congress from the State of Florida, and chairman, 

Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, and written responses 

from: 

The Honorable Gerald M. Feierstein .................................................................. 40

Ms. Paige Alexander to ........................................................................................ 44

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JORDAN: A KEY U.S. PARTNER 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA,

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2 o’clock p.m., in room 

2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 

(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much. The subcommittee will 

come to order. I know that our panelists are going to be stepping 

out here in a second. 

We will have votes starting at possibly 3 o’clock or 3:15 so we 

will try to wrap up before then. After recognizing myself and Ranking Member Deutch for 5 minutes each for our opening statements, 

I will then recognize other members seeking recognition for 1 

minute. 

We will then hear from our witnesses, and without objection the 

prepared statements of our witnesses will be made a part of the 

record and members may have 5 days to insert statements and 

questions for the record subject to the length limitation in the 

rules. 

The chair now recognizes herself for 5 minutes. In recent years, 

the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has turned into one of America’s 

most important allies. 

The King of Jordan had proven to be a reliable partner and 

someone who is committed to protecting our shared security interest. 

With all of the violence, all of the turmoil in the region and the 

accompanying instability and insecurity, the U.S. has made a substantial commitment to strengthening our bilateral relations with 

the Kingdom. 

That commitment was reflected in a renewal of our memorandum of understanding, MOU, with Jordan, which was signed a 

year ago last week. 

This new MOU recognizes the importance of Jordan in the fight 

on the front lines against ISIS and radical fundamentalism as well 

as the Kingdom’s leadership in taking in over 1 million refugees 

from Syria and Iraq. 

Jordan’s resources are already scarce and with the addition of 

over 1 million Syrian and Iraqi refugees, these resources are being 

strained to the limit—stretched to the limit. 

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That is why it is vital that we help Jordan shore up some of 

these resources, especially when it comes to the Kingdom’s water 

needs and energy needs. Through our MCC-Jordan Compact, a $275 million compact that 

nears its completion, we have invested in public-private partnership wastewater projects that are now operational and serving over 

1 million people, many of whom are refugees. 

I had the pleasure of visiting the As-Samra Wastewater Plant in 

2014 with Mr. Deutch and its importance cannot be overstated. 

I am also pleased that a local south Florida firm, Hazen and 

Sawyer, was the engineering firm that managed the project, proof 

that these MCC compacts and projects can benefit both the U.S. 

economy and also the host nations. 

There are other projects and it is important that we begin to 

bring them to fruition. One of these will not only be important to 

alleviate the water shortage in Jordan but it has the potential to 

also improve the cooperation and bilateral relations between Israel 

and Jordan—the Red to Dead Project. 

Continued U.S. investment in this sort of infrastructure project 

has enormous upside and can really be a game changer and it is 

critical that Congress remains supportive of these efforts. 

There is also the benefit—the potential for collaborative work between Israel and Jordan in other areas that can be mutually beneficial, especially when it comes to Jordan’s energy needs. 

Jordan signed an agreement with Israel to import natural gas 

and, again, as with the wastewater project, this agreement has economic benefits for the U.S. as well with U.S.-based Noble Energy 

discovering the natural gas field off the coast of Israel and now 

ready, willing and able to begin production to help meet the growing natural gas demand in Jordan and elsewhere. 

And it will be important that we continue to support these efforts 

and others just like them because Israel and Jordan have shared 

concerns, shared interests and it would be mutually beneficial for 

the two to work closely together. 

We must also continue to support the good work of USAID—the 

good work that they are doing to help Jordan in its economy but 

also the work it does to strengthen the country’s democracy and 

governance as well as female empowerment programs. 

The Jordanian Government’s commitment to political reform over 

these past few years has been commendable and it is clear that our 

programs have had a good amount of success based on the interest 

and the support from the government and the Jordanian people, a 

testament to how this is—how this International Republican Institute—IRI—has been able to expand from working in just a handful 

of districts when its programs first started in Jordan to now over 

30 and seeking to expand further in the coming years. 

These programs have had successes. We need to build upon the 

support these programs have received and work with the Kingdom 

to help strengthen democracy and governance in Jordan and to 

strengthen civil society. 

On security, Jordan’s needs are also substantial because of the 

Kingdom—the Kingdom has been such a staunch ally in the coalition against ISIS, and the stability and security of Jordan are vital 

if we are ever going to see a secure and stable region. 

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That is why I am pleased that the bill I introduced with Congressman Deutch and as well as Congresswomen Granger and 

Lowey, the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act, has passed Congress just last night and will now make its way to the President’s 

desk. 

The bill recognizes Jordan’s precarious situation and the need for 

the U.S. to support the King’s effort against ISIS. 

That is why it will allow for expedited sales of certain weapons 

and ammunition and excess defense articles that the Kingdom 

needs to secure its borders, to protect its citizens and to assist the 

coalition in the fight against ISIS. 

But as the King reminded us when he visited us last month, we 

cannot keep a myopic focus on the fight against ISIS and think 

that it is just in Iraq and in Syria. 

ISIS is spreading, it is gaining support elsewhere and it has 

shown that it has the capability to strike the West as well. 

The King warned us not to lose sight of the threat that ISIS 

poses in Africa where it can gain a lot of support and use a lot of 

territory for safe havens, and we, obviously, can’t lose sight of the 

threat ISIS poses to us here in the homeland. 

This is an obvious difficult task. But it would be much more difficult were it not for the leadership and the willingness of our ally 

Jordan to take on this challenge together. 

I look forward to expanding and strengthening our relationship 

with the Kingdom of Jordan in the coming months and years and 

I thank the King for his steadfast commitment to the security and 

stability of the region, and we welcome Ambassador Bouran with 

us today. 

Thank you so much. Mr. Deutch is recognized. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

Madam Chairman, you have been a true champion of the U.S.-

Jordan relationship and I thank you for the opportunity to discuss 

the challenges facing our two countries in depth today. 

Thanks to our witnesses for being here today and for the work 

that your agencies do to promote a stable and prosperous Jordan 

and to advance the U.S.-Jordan cooperation. I would especially like 

to thank Ambassador Feierstein for his many years of service and 

wish him well in his retirement. 

And I would like to take a moment to recognize the Jordanian 

Ambassador, Ambassador Bouran, who does a fantastic job here in 

Washington and is a valued resource to many on this subcommittee. 

I am also pleased that legislation introduced by the chairman 

and me, the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act, has now passed 

the House and Senate and is on its way to the President’s desk. 

I thank our colleagues for supporting this bipartisan legislation 

that will ensure that Jordan has the tools that it needs to confront 

regional challenges. 

Just over a year ago, the United States and Jordan cemented our 

partnership in a new memorandum of understanding that increased U.S. assistance to Jordan from $600 million to $1 billion 

annually. 

This increase reflects our commitment to Jordan’s stability and 

recognition of the tremendous strain placed upon Jordan since the 

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start of this hearing crisis as well as Jordan’s willingness to partner in the fight against ISIS. 

The conflict in Syria has fundamentally altered Jordan and its 

effects will be felt for years to come. Jordan, already a home to 

hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees from previous conflicts, has 

taken in over 635,000 Syrian refugees and that number only reflects those refugees who are officially registered with the UNHCR. 

Jordanian officials estimate this number is probably much higher 

than that. In fact, most Syrian refugees aren’t currently living in 

the two U.N.-run camps and have instead assimilated into Jordanian towns. 

While Jordanian host communities have welcomed Syrian refugees into their communities, the influx has, of course, placed a 

strain on Jordan’s already scarce resources, particularly water and 

energy. 

Many of our USAID programs have focused on increasing access 

to water while reducing waste. In fact, USAID programs have 

brought fresh water and sanitation services to more than one-third 

of Jordan’s population. We look forward to hearing more about 

these efforts from Assistant Administrator Alexander. 

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and I had the opportunity to visit the 

As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, the product of the MCC 

compact awarded to Jordan in 2010. 

The expansion of this plant will increase access to water for 3 

million Jordanians and, as the chairman mentioned, we are 

pleased to see a south Florida company involved in such an important project. 

U.S. assistance has also focused on expanding access to education 

as well as infrastructure building and teacher training. 

We often talk about the potential for an entire lost generation of 

Syrian children and our continued focus on building and rehabilitating schools is a critical component to ensure that refugee children are able to access education in host communities. 

I applaud Secretary Kerry’s recent announcement of $267 million 

in assistance for education in Jordan. We all appreciate the Government of Jordan’s willingness to keep its borders open to refugees and I acknowledge the security challenges that this poses. 

But as fighting in Syria’s southern front increases, more and 

more refugees will be seeking safe passage to Jordan. I am extremely sensitive to Jordan’s ability to adequately screen those trying to enter the country and it is my hope that those waiting at 

its borders, those who do not pose a threat to Jordan’s stability, 

will be admitted as swiftly as possible. 

As the U.S. seeks to expand the contribution to the members of 

the international coalition to counter ISIS, Jordan has continually 

met our call to action. 

King Abdullah has often the need for Arab states to lead this 

fight against extremism and Jordanian planes have been flying 

missions since the formation of the coalition. 

Let me again offer condolences—our condolences—to the people 

of Jordan for the horrific loss of a Jordanian pilot at the hands of 

ISIS just 1 year ago. 

5

But if we want our partners to step up, we must ensure that 

they have what they need to both be active participants in the coalition and to defend their own borders. 

That is why the legislation I referenced earlier passed by the 

chairman and me along with our Appropriations Committee colleagues Chairman Granger and Ranking Member Lowey is so critical. 

Our bill will ensure the timely transfer of certain defense articles 

to the Kingdom. The King understands the importance of regional 

stability and recognizes the need to confront ISIS while working to 

find a political solution to the conflict in Syria and we appreciate 

the ability to consult regularly with him. 

As we wait to see if talks can restart, I would just again note 

that as long as Assad is in power we will not be able to stem the 

flow of refugees from Syria or to defeat ISIS. 

While the refugee crisis has no doubt strained Jordan’s economy 

and resources, there are steps that can be taken now to reduce 

some of these pressures. 

The lifting of various barriers to work for Syrian refugees will 

help refugees contribute to their communities. Economic investment will shore up jobs for Jordanians. 

Cooperation with Israel on the Red to Dead project will help increase Jordan’s access to water, and I thank the Kingdom for its 

commitment to peace with Israel and its recent efforts to reduce 

tensions at the Temple Mount. 

The King can play a vital role in preserving the status quo as 

Israel has committed to do and I hope that any roadblocks in implementing the agreement brokered by Secretary Kerry to install 

cameras at the Temple Mount can soon be worked through. 

In addition, I am alarmed by reports just this morning that certain members of Parliament are threatening to topple the government if Jordan moves ahead with the deal to import gas from 

Israel’s Leviathan Field. 

This deal has the potential to bring much needed energy sustainability to Jordan. 

Madam Chairman, there is certainly a lot more to discuss when 

it comes to the depth of U.S. cooperation with Jordan and the increasingly important role that a stable Jordan plays in the region. 

And I look forward to hearing more from our witnesses, and I 

yield back. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Deutch. 

Mr. Cicilline is recognized. 

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

Thank you, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen and Ranking Member 

Deutch for calling this hearing on Jordan and our relationship and 

thank you to the witnesses. 

I look forward to hearing from you about how our strong partnership with the Kingdom of Jordan can continue, particularly at this 

critical time in our shared fight against violent extremism as well 

as a pivotal moment in the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

I want to welcome Ambassador Bouran and again acknowledge 

her extraordinary leadership here in Washington and I would also 

6

like to express my appreciation to the Kingdom of Jordan for its 

leadership and its commitment to the coalition to defeat ISIL. 

Jordan’s actions s part of this coalition have been significant and 

difficult, notably, air strikes that have been conducted, Jordan’s allowing foreign forces to use its bases, Jordan’s sharing of intelligence with coalition partners, and we have a very long and close 

relationship with the Kingdom and look forward to continued and 

deepening cooperation. 

The people and the Government of Jordan know all too well how 

ISIL’s actions create instability and fear, which is why Jordan is 

hosting more than 630,000 refugees from Syria, and we appreciate 

this incredible sacrifice and remain committed to support Jordan’s 

crisis management effort through increased economic support. 

I had the opportunity to visit Jordan last March. As part of that 

visit I traveled to the Zaatari refugee camp and saw first hand the 

extraordinary challenges facing the Kingdom of Jordan and the extraordinary work being done. 

And I look forward to the testimony of the witnesses today and 

working with the administration and my colleagues to further 

strengthen our important relationship with the Kingdom of Jordan. 

And I yield back. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you, Mr. Cicilline. 

Ms. Frankel is recognized. 

Ms. FRANKEL. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

And I thank you for this opportunity because I have to leave for 

a markup in a few minutes—I mean, a vote at Transportation. 

But I wanted to start. I thank you for the witnesses being here 

and I visited Jordan this year on a personal trip, and I just want 

to say for anyone who has never been there what a beautiful country it is, just magnificent—beautiful sites and beautiful people. 

And I want to also thank—I see our Ambassador here—just 

thank you to the people of Jordan for opening their arms to the refugees. 

I had an opportunity when I was there to meet with some women 

and children who had fled Syria and the issue that just kept coming up over and over that Mr. Deutch referenced to was their inability to do any work and to supplement the very pittance, really, 

of aid that they are getting. 

So I would just be curious whether—I know there has been some 

discussions to maybe have some relief in that area. So I would be 

curious as to that. 

I also would be interested to know what kind of work we are 

doing to enable Jordan to boost its economy. I was told that there 

is some work going on there. 

And I would also be interested to know whether any of it involves trying to advertise or boost up its tourism because I will tell 

you, I have been all over the world and going—we went to the 

desert where ‘‘Lawrence of Arabia’’ was filmed. It was amazing. 

Well, there is a lot of historic sites there. 

So I will be curious about the tourism industry. But on a more 

somber note, what is going on in Syria is so horrific and I am very 

interested in knowing what you—because the witnesses that are 

here—what you believe is the impact of Russia now intervening in 

Syria because I have heard that the rebel forces are being deciVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:26 May 11, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_MENA\021116\98604 SHIRL
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mated and I know we have aid programs to the rebels and I am 

just wondering whether it is even worthwhile programs now. 

And so I would like to get your insight on that. So when I leave 

I am not going to be rude. I have to go vote. But I am going to 

catch up and whatever you say somebody will take notes and tell 

me and I will try to come back. 

Thank you very much for being here. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you, Ms. Frankel. 

We know that you are a professional all the time so there is no 

doubt when she says that she means it, and she has pointed out 

the benefits of private travel. 

She got to visit where ‘‘Lawrence of Arabia’’ was. Mr. Deutch and 

I on congressional travel went to a wastewater plant. So that is 

quite a difference. 

But now we are pleased to introduce our panelists. We welcome 

back Ambassador Gerald Feierstein, who is the principal deputy 

assistant secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. 

Previously, the Ambassador served as our Ambassador to Yemen 

from 2010 to 2013 and has served in different postings throughout 

the Middle East, including as deputy chief of mission in Islamabad 

and deputy consul-general in Jerusalem. Thank you for your service and we look forward to your testimony, Mr. Ambassador. 

Next, we welcome back Assistant Administrator Paige Alexander 

of the Bureau of the Middle East of USAID. Previously, Ms. Alexander has served as assistant administrator of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia as well as associate director of Project Liberty at 

Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

She has also served on the board of the Basic Education Coalition and the Project on the Middle East Democracy. Welcome back. 

And last but certainly not least, we would like to welcome 

Fatema Sumar, who is the regional deputy vice president for—listen to these areas of the world—Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Latin 

America, wow—for the Millennium Challenge Cooperation’s Department of Compact Operations. 

Previously, Ms. Sumar was the deputy assistant secretary of 

state for South and Central Asian affairs and before that she was 

a congressional aide in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 

and I hear that Mr. Connolly used to be an aide in that—I have 

heard that before. 

Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. We will begin with you. 

STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE GERALD M. FEIERSTEIN, 

PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF 

NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Thank you so much, Chairman RosLehtinen, Ranking Member Deutch, distinguished members of the 

committee. Thank you for inviting me to discuss our relationship 

with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan today. 

Let me also thank you for your continued support to Jordan over 

the years and in particular to express our thanks for your championing the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act. 

Now that this legislation has passed we look forward to expediting consideration of letters of offer to sell defense articles and 

8

services to the Kingdom of Jordan, thereby shrinking the delivery 

time for these articles even more. 

As you note in the title to this hearing, Jordan is a key partner 

for the United States and has played a vital role in addressing virtually all of the highest priority challenges that the United States 

is facing in the Middle East. 

From countering the threat of Daesh and supporting a peaceful 

political transition in Syria to expanding prosperity across the region, Jordan has been an essential ally. 

The King is returning to Washington later this month and I 

know that President Obama looks forward to discussing many of 

these issues directly with him when they meet. 

Nowhere is the strength of our relationship more apparent than 

our shared efforts against the threat of Daesh and other extremists. 

Jordan is a committed leader in the global coalition to counter 

ISIL and the regional campaign against Daesh. Jordanian air force 

pilots regularly fly missions as part of Operation Inherent Resolve 

and have shown no sign of decreasing their tempo. 

As part of our broader coalition efforts against Daesh, King 

Abdullah has called upon the international community to challenge 

Daesh’s recruiting. 

We are working hand in hand with our Jordanian counterparts 

to expose the false narrative of Daesh and other extremist groups 

and to deprive Daesh of financial resources. 

Jordan has been a critical partner in international security efforts around the world for many years. In 1996, the United States 

designated Jordan as a major non-NATO ally. They are also a 

member of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. 

Just last month during the King’s visit, Secretary Kerry signed 

a joint action plan with Jordan to combat the smuggling of nuclear 

and radioactive materials, expressing our intent to work together 

to prevent, detect and respond to nuclear smuggling incidents. 

Jordan has also been an integral part of the political process, 

spearheading efforts to reach a political transition in Syria through 

the International Syria Support Group. 

Today, Foreign Minister Judeh joined Secretary Kerry in Munich 

during a meeting of this group as they deliberate on next steps to 

resolve the crisis in Syria. 

We are also deeply appreciative of Jordan’s crucial role in efforts 

to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Jordan continues to demonstrate determination and resolve in 

support of our shared goals of reaching a two-state solution to the 

conflict and bringing an end to the vicious cycles of violence. 

Since the signing of its peace treaty with Israel in 1994, Jordan’s 

engagement on Israeli-Palestinian issues has been critical to our 

ongoing efforts to advance peace and stability in the region including this past fall when Jordan worked closely with us to help 

defuse tensions in Jerusalem on the Haram al-Sharif Temple 

Mount compound. 

However, our partnership with Jordan goes beyond our two Governments. Trade between our two countries remain strong. Our 

free trade agreement with Jordan signed in 2000 was our first in 

the Arab world. 

9

Total bilateral trade reached $2.8 billion in 2015 and you can 

now find a number of Jordanian goods in U.S. markets from cosmetics and jewelry to air conditioners and pharmaceuticals. 

Jordanians, meanwhile, have access to Florida orange juice, Boeing airplanes and countless other U.S. products and services recognized for their quality. 

As part of our commitment to Jordan’s security and stability during this critical time, we are providing Jordan with robust security 

and economic assistance. 

Last year, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan signalling our intent to provide the Kingdom with $1 billion 

annually in security and economic assistance from Fiscal Year 2015 

to Fiscal Year 2017 with Congress’ generous support. 

I know my colleague will further discuss our economic support 

but I wanted to note that Jordan received $385 million in Foreign 

Military Financing in Fiscal Year 2015, making it the third largest 

FMF recipient in the world. We will continue our robust support 

this year. 

Before I conclude, I would like to address one issue that I know 

you are aware was an urgent topic of discussion during the King’s 

recent visit. 

Jordan currently hosts more than 635,000 registered Syrian refugees. We are working closely with the Jordanian Government on 

solutions to alleviate the strain on the country including how to 

handle ongoing humanitarian challenges for the 22,000 refugees on 

the Syrian-Jordanian border. 

Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Deutch, our partnership with Jordan remains strong and our military coordination and 

assistance has never been closer. 

From their counter-Daesh activities to Jordan’s active participation in a number of peacekeeping operations around the world, Jordan is a strong friend and an essential partner in our pursuit of 

regional peace and prosperity. 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to taking 

your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Ambassador Feierstein follows:]

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Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Ambassador. 

Ms. Alexander. 

STATEMENT OF MS. PAIGE ALEXANDER, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, BUREAU FOR THE MIDDLE EAST, U.S. AGENCY FOR 

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Ms. ALEXANDER. Thank you, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking 

Member Deutch, members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the 

opportunity to discuss the United States Agency for International 

Development’s assistance to Jordan. 

Jordan has one of the largest USAID missions in the world. Our 

longstanding partnership with the Kingdom dates back nearly six 

decades. 

Over the years this cooperation has improved water systems, 

trained teachers and enhanced the quality of education. We have 

also upgraded medical facilities and have increased job opportunities by developing key sectors of the Jordanian economy. With Congress’ generous support in Fiscal Year 2015, $615 million went into the Economic Support Fund programs that directly 

help the Jordanian people. 

Our economic assistance to Jordan is multifaceted, including direct assistance, sovereign loan guarantees and project-based programs. 

We are working to help the Government of Jordan deal with the 

significant development challenges, low economic growth, crowded 

classrooms and scarce water resources, as you all have discussed. 

USAID has reoriented its development assistance to better support the government and the people of Jordan and has addressed 

the increased needs in the areas and sectors where Syrian refugees 

have the greatest impact on the Jordanian communities. 

We recognize the enormous strain on resources that Jordanians 

face due to the large population increases from the Syria crisis. 

Our programming is designed not only to help host communities 

meet current needs but also to identify and catalyse innovations 

that meet Jordan’s longer-term development challenges. 

My statement for the record includes more details of the USAID 

priorities and challenges in Jordan. I would like to briefly give you 

some examples here. 

USAID supports the Government of Jordan’s reform agenda, focusing on strengthening civil society, rule of law and good governance with partners such as the chairman’s mention of IRI. 

During my trip to Jordan last year, I met with local officials in 

communities hosting these large refugee populations. They told me 

the assistance they received from the American people has been invaluable. 

For example, USAID partners with local communities and officials to identify the real stressors and the priorities in community 

life, and then USAID—with our partners—helps the municipalities 

implement very practical solutions, things such as paving streets, 

replacing broken street lights or picking up the trash, which make 

a major difference in these communities. 

USAID’s economic development and energy programs in Jordan 

have evolved over the years from building roads to building a more 

diverse and globally competitive economy. 

16

One program has awarded nearly 100 grants totalling more than 

$5 million to small- and medium-sized enterprises. 

One of these grants went to the Andalus Dairy Factory run by 

a local cattle farmer association in northern Jordan. With the help 

of the project, the factory entered a partnership with Safeway and 

achieved $140,000 annual increase in revenue and now they are on 

track to double that increase in the coming year. 

We are also the lead donor for education in Jordan where the 

Syria crisis is having a profound effect on the public schools. To 

help the Jordanians meet this challenge, USAID has expanded 120 

schools, renovated 146 schools and built 25 new schools in areas 

where there are large population increases from the refugee flows. 

We are also fast tracking the expansion of 20 schools in the most 

needed areas. Just last week, I attended the London conference 

where Secretary Kerry announced the additional $267 million commitment for education in Jordan. 

This will help Jordanian public schools provide quality education 

for an estimated 230,000 Syrian refugee children and another 

500,000 Jordanian students. 

I want to share one particularly inspiring story, that of Maha Al 

Ashqar. She is the principal of the Khawla bint Tha’laba Primary 

Girls’ School. 

When a Syrian refugee mother approached the school and wanted to get her child in, she was told that the classes were full. She 

approached the principal and Ms. Al Ashqar’s response was simple—yes, your daughter can come to school, I ask that you bring 

a chair because we have run out of chairs. 

It is by supporting educators and families determined to get 

ahead that we can make sure more children are not lost to this 

conflict. 

We are also working to ensure that the humanitarian assistance 

we provide to Syrian refugees has benefits for the local Jordanian 

economy. 

For example, we fund a food voucher debit card for Syrian refugees. I believe the two of you saw this when you were in the camp. 

I actually brought one because it is nicely branded as well. 

And, for example, with these vouchers these cards are used to 

shop in the local Jordanian supermarkets and stores. They give the 

users a dignified way to buy food for their families, giving them 

more choice and nutritional diversity than food handouts would 

permit. 

It has also provided an important economic boost for the host 

country. It is estimated that the program has injected at least $428 

million into the Jordanian economy, providing new jobs and new 

revenues to food retailers, traders and producers. 

Going forward, we need to think about how to preserve the important development gains made through the years of bilateral assistance to Jordan while developing creative solutions that help to 

meet the complex challenges posed by refugees living in these host 

communities. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and I 

look forward to your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Alexander follows:]

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Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Ms. Alexander. 

Ms. Sumar. 

STATEMENT OF MS. FATEMA Z. SUMAR, REGIONAL DEPUTY 

VICE PRESIDENT, EUROPE, ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND LATIN 

AMERICA, DEPARTMENT OF COMPACT OPERATIONS, MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION 

Ms. SUMAR. Well, thank you so much and good afternoon. 

Thank you, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Member Deutch 

and members of the subcommittee for the opportunity to discuss 

the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s work with our partners in 

Jordan to fight poverty. 

I request that my full written testimony be submitted for the 

record. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Without objection. 

Ms. SUMAR. MCC forms partnerships with some of the world’s 

poorest countries, but only those committed to good governance, 

economic freedom and investment in their citizens. 

MCC provides these select countries, like Jordan, with grants to 

fund country-led projects and reforms designed to reduce poverty 

by promoting sustainable economic growth. 

MCC’s Board of Directors selected Jordan as eligible for a threshold program in 2005. The threshold program supported Jordan’s efforts to strengthen local government by increasing transparency 

and accountability. 

The program also sought to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their customs administration as a way to encourage trade. 

Our $275 million compact with Jordan began implementation in 

December 2011 and will end in December of this year. 

Because Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the 

world, our compact focuses on increasing the supply of water available to households and businesses and improving the efficiency of 

water delivery, wastewater collection and wastewater treatment. 

Affordable access to clean water is critical not just for businesses 

and agricultural producers but for all Jordanians. The scarcity and 

expense of water constrains the country’s economic potential. 

Though our partnership began before the crisis in Syria erupted, 

Jordan’s generous response to that crisis has only compounded the 

strain on the country’s water supply, making MCC’s work there 

even more critical. 

The compact includes three closely-related projects to address the 

needs of the goverment’s entire water system. First, as you saw 

during your visit there, the biggest investment of the compact is 

the expansion of the As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant, originally built with support from USAID. 

It is the primary facility for treating wastewater from Jordan’s 

Amman and Zarqa governorates where much of the country’s population lives. 

The expansion increased the plant’s capacity by more than onethird, while more than doubling its capacity to handle certain 

chemicals and other materials. 

It now treats 70 percent of the country’s wastewater. One of the 

most interesting aspects of this project is its innovative financing. 

24

MCC’s grant is paying for the expansion in partnership with a 

private sector operator. This public-private partnership allowed 

MCC’s investment of $93 million to mobilize an additional $110 

million from the private sector. 

Through this financing method, the private sector not only provides over 50 percent of the cost of construction, it also ensures 

that the facility is operated and maintained at world class standards for 25 years. 

Second, the wastewater network project will modernize and upgrade the outdated sewer system in Zarqa. This project has already 

replaced or rehabilitated trunk sewer lines and expanded the system by laying over a 139 miles of sewer pipe. 

And third, our water network restructuring project—before this 

project, if you can imagine, as much as 50 percent of water that 

entered the system was lost both through leaks in the network and 

weak management—an unsustainably high loss rate, given Jordan’s scarce water resources. 

This third project has repaired reservoirs and pumping stations, 

and already replaced more than 70 percent of the targeted 495 

miles of urban drinking water pipelines. 

What is perhaps most notable about this program and about all 

of MCC’s compacts with our partner countries is that it is the Jordanians who determined which problem we should address and 

how we should tackle it. 

Following the end of our engagement with our partner countries, 

we perform impact evaluations where possible to see how successful our projects were in reducing poverty. 

In Jordan, we are implementing an innovative impact evaluation 

of the benefits of our projects to Jordanian households and farmers. 

This impact evaluation will be one of the first of its kind to measure the economic benefits of improved water infrastructure. The 

success of this evaluation and of our overall compact is a product 

of the close relationship between MCC and the Government of Jordan. 

The Government of Jordan has been an excellent partner in the 

development and implementation of the compact. 

Thank you again for the invitation to testify, and I look forward 

to answering any questions. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Sumar follows:]

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Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much for excellent presentations. I will begin the question and answer period. 

One of Jordan’s critical needs is energy, although not as burdensome now since, thankfully, oil prices have taken dive. But Jordan 

has almost no domestic production to talk about, importing around 

97 percent of its energy needs. 

The agreement to import natural gas from Israel could be a game 

changer, not just for Jordan and Israel but for the entire region. 

Ambassador Feierstein, would you talk about the significant foreign policy benefits for all parties involved with this agreement? 

What has the U.S. been doing to promote these exports, given that 

there have been some challenges faced on both sides? 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Absolutely, Congresswoman RosLehtinen. 

The United States has been strongly supporting the efforts of the 

two parties with Noble Energy, an American energy provider, to 

reach agreement to draw natural gas from the Leviathan Field as 

well as the Tamar Field in Israel and those talks are going forward 

with a great deal of encouragement from the United States. 

Our acting assistant secretary for energy, Amos Hochstein, has 

been very much involved in promoting the efforts and discussing 

this and we are optimistic that these—that these contracts will be 

completed and that the gas will be provided to Jordan. 

As you said quite correctly, it’s going to be a significant bonus 

for Jordan, a reliable sustainable source of energy for them to fuel 

their economic growth and development going forward. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you. And, Ambassador, water is also 

a critical need. In the Fiscal Year 2016 omnibus bill, Congress appropriated $100 million in Economic Support Funds to be set aside 

to Jordan for supporting its Red to Dead Canal Project pending 

completion of the relevant studies and assessment. 

How are—where are we on those assessments? What obstacles 

are needed to be overcome in over to get this project up and running? 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Thank you, and absolutely we appreciated the congressional decision to provide $100 million for the 

Red to Dead effort. 

We are engaged very closely with the Government of Jordan as 

well as with the Israelis and the Palestinians, pushing that forward. 

As you noted, and Ms. Alexander may be able to comment as 

well, we are engaged in the effort to complete the environmental 

impact studies and the other work that is necessary. 

But we also believe that we are moving closer, perhaps in another month or two, to having a meeting that will bring all of the 

parties together to continue the design work and to further the implementation of that project. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you, sir. 

And, Ms. Alexander, you noted that Jordan hosts one of the largest USAID missions of the world and we also noted not just the 

willingness of the government to work with our mission but that 

the Jordanian people very much welcome a lot of the work that we 

do there. 

31

The Kingdom represents a relatively open space and a difficult 

region for civil society and the sort of work that USAID is looking 

to expand on in areas that it is hoping to strengthen. 

Does Jordan’s willingness to work on these issues suggest an opportunity for increased support for democratic institutions? 

What would that look like and are we focusing too much of our 

assistance on meeting the needs of the Syrian refugees and not 

enough on Jordan’s actual development needs? 

And I encourage USAID to explore new entities, a new partnership with groups who have a proven track record of local democratic governance in Jordan. 

What type of local government assistance gives us the ability to 

strengthen the stability of a country like Jordan, given the immense pressure that it is under? 

Ms. ALEXANDER. Thank you. 

I agree that the global economic crisis has really undermined all 

the previous gains that the Jordanian Government had had—reduced exports, remittances, reduced tourism revenue, as referenced 

before, and foreign direct investments. 

So the loss of this and then the trading partners of Egypt, Syria 

and Iraq that had been such a valued part of the economy and the 

economic development for Jordan has really set them back. 

However, having such an excellent partnership with the Jordanian Government, we have continued to work very closely on the 

Jordan response plan and reoriented our assistance to make sure 

that we are addressing their needs as well as the stressors on the 

sectors, whether it is education, health, or water. 

So I think the partnership is valuable. I would not say that there 

is a lack of understanding between the need between the Syrian 

refugees and the host communities. 

I think that we are working very hard to make sure that we are 

addressing the Jordanian Government’s concern about that. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. And finally, as I mentioned earlier, Congressman Deutch and I visited that wastewater project during our 

last visit to Jordan together and it was remarkable how much 

progress had been made on such an important issue for Jordan—

water—and I think that—I know that Jordan’s MCC contract is 

completed at the end of this year—the compact focused on three 

major water projects. 

But Ms. Sumar, with Jordan being such an important player for 

the region and its stability vital to ensuring that the entire region 

doesn’t descend into something much worse, do you think that Jordan would be a good contender for a second MCC contract—compact and, if so, what areas would be best to focus on for future 

projects? 

Ms. SUMAR. Well, thank you, Madam Chairman, for the question 

and thank you for taking the time to visit the plant during your 

visit to Jordan. 

As you noted, we have had terrific success in this compact because of the strong partnership we have with the Government of 

Jordan and our implementing partner, the Millennium Challenge 

Account in Jordan. 

According to our statute from Congress—our legislation, we are 

both time-bound in the way we operate but we are also bound by 

32

income levels. MCC only works in countries with both low income 

and lower middle income status as defined by the World Bank. 

Currently, starting in Fiscal Year 2012, Jordan graduated from 

lower middle income status and is currently an upper middle income country. 

There are ongoing negotiations and conversations, I understand, 

between the Government of Jordan and the World Bank on its population numbers, given the flows from the refugee crisis, which 

could change some of those calculations, given its GNI per capita. 

We look forward to hearing the decision from the World Bank, 

which is where we get our data from. But currently Jordan would 

not be a contender for a second compact because it has graduated 

to upper middle income status and that is a consideration that we 

have to take seriously in our legislation. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much. 

And I would like to yield now to my great colleague, Congressman Deutch. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

Ms. Alexander, outside of the refugee-specific initiatives, what 

other successes can you point to in supporting job creation initiatives in Jordan? 

Ms. ALEXANDER. Thank you. 

Our economic development assistance has worked on everything 

from fiscal reforms at the ministries to make sure we have longterm sustainability and better procedures in place. 

We have also worked in the health care sector and I would say 

that building maternal and child health care—child facilities and 

pediatric facilities—we have modernized the health workforce and 

we have established a health quality assurance mechanism. 

The financial sustainability of almost all of the issues including 

water is a major one, as referenced earlier, with 90 percent of the 

water imported—gas and energy, sorry, imported. That has become 

a major issue for us. 

In the water sector we are looking at nonrevenue water loss and 

working directly with the ministries to make sure that they are 

tightening up their systems. 

So I would say it is on a fiscal side with the ministries as well 

on the local government side with making sure that civil society is 

listened to in a lot of these communities that are suffering from 

stress. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Great. Thanks. 

Ambassador Feierstein, King Abdullah makes very strong pronouncements in the international community that Arab states 

must lead the fight against ISIS. 

Can you just share your insight as to whether the Jordanian 

public is still supportive of the country’s involvement and leadership role in the campaign against ISIS? 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Thank you, Congressman Deutch. 

I believe that our assessment is that there is still a high level 

of support within the Jordanian community for the effort to combat 

violent extremism. 

The King and the Government of Jordan have done a good job 

of trying to explain to the Jordanian people what the challenges 

are, what the threat is to Jordanian security and stability. 

33

He has engaged broadly with not only the political leaders but 

also with religious leaders, motivating and energizing imams to 

speak out in the mosques against the threat of violent extremism. 

And in this context, I think that the Jordanians have really been 

leaders not only in terms of how they have approached the challenge and the issues within Jordan but also in trying to assist and 

to build a broader Sunni Arab coalition that speaks out very 

strongly against this threat. 

Mr. DEUTCH. How helpful do you think the King can be with respect to halting Russian aggression against the moderate opposition in Syria? Is there a role for the King there? 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Well, this is an important issue and, of 

course, as you know, the King did try to engage the Russians in 

an effort to prevent the expansion of the conflict toward the Jordanian borders in southern Syria. 

Our understanding, based on our discussions with him, is that he 

has been disappointed, of course, in the lack of Russian responsiveness, although when he discussed this directly with President 

Putin he was under the impression that the Russians would be cooperative with this effort. 

To be entirely honest, we were skeptical of the effort and we remain skeptical. But the King believes that this is an important element and that he needs to be able to speak to the Russians and 

try to get the Syrian Government to go along with this. 

So he is going to continue to try. But I think that at this point 

he is a little bit more skeptical and wary about how the Russians 

might respond. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Great. 

And then, finally, just turning away from Jordan just for a second since you are here, I understand there is legislation in the Senate, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, that passed out 

of the Senate Judiciary Committee recently, and as a member of 

both Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees here in the House, 

I have an interest in that. 

Since you are here, I thought I would ask whether the department has a position on this bill. 

Ambassador FEIERSTEIN. Thank you very much for that question, 

Congressman Deutch, and we do. 

We understand and sympathize with the motivation behind the 

JASTA legislation. The proposed remedy, however, would enact 

broad changes in longstanding international law regarding sovereign immunity that, if applied globally, could have serious implications for U.S. interests. 

Before proceeding with the legislation, we believe there needs to 

be more careful consideration of the potential unintended consequences of its enactment and we would welcome opportunities to 

engage with the Congress in that discussion. 

Mr. DEUTCH. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. 

Thanks to all of our witnesses for being here today. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you, Mr. Deutch. 

Mr. Rohrabacher. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. First and foremost, I would like to thank you, 

Madam Chairman, for your leadership over the years. 

34

I have been serving in Congress with you for 28 years and you 

have been a dynamo on those issues that are vital to our national 

security and to human rights as well. So thank you for bring this 

up today. 

Because today you have focused our attention on a country that 

is indispensable to the cause of peace in the Middle East. Without 

Jordan, we all lose. 

Everybody loses if Jordan succumbs to radicalization, and I 

would say that we need to pay this kind of attention all the time 

toward this. 

Let me ask a little bit about the—I learned a long time ago. My 

parents came from dirt-poor farms in North Dakota and that was 

long before they had any of the oil or anything up there. And I was 

taught that people can’t be prosperous—ordinary people can’t live 

a prosperous and decent life without enough energy but also 

enough water. 

And you were just going through in the testimony the water 

projects and how much money has been put into that. Is there still 

a water shortage in Jordan after the investment that we have 

made? 

Ms. ALEXANDER. I will say yes. It has been the third most waterscarce country in the world and so this is why a lot of our assistance at USAID has focused on issues such as nonrevenue water 

loss and, specifically, reforming and restructuring how to make this 

system more efficient. 

I will turn it to my colleague to talk about the MCC work. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Right. 

Ms. SUMAR. Certainly, Congressman, it is—not only is it one of 

the most water scarce countries in the world, it is a country that 

is strained under burgeoning population flows. 

And so the investments that MCC has been making over the past 

5 years are intended to not only take a look at the current needs 

of the Jordanian people in the cities but also take a long-term view 

of the kind of economic growth that is——

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Is it based on reclamation? Is that your—the 

system that you have been providing support for in Jordan? 

Ms. SUMAR. It is based on three different principals. One is that 

we need to add different parts of wastewater treatment so that you 

don’t have sewage flowing over into your major cities and streets. 

In order to do that, we built this signature project, which is the 

As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant. Connected to that are 

wastewater pipes that would be needed to actually pipe out the 

sewage from the cities into the treatment plants. So we have built 

hundreds of kilometers of those pipes. 

But the third part of that and particularly most important for 

people’s everyday lives is to make sure they also have the drinking 

water that they need and the drinking supplies. 

So the third component is building the water pipes for drinking 

water. As a result of that entire holistic intervention, what we are 

seeing is not just piping the wastewater out, treating and cleaning 

it but pumping that water in a clean way back into the irrigation 

system of Jordan. 

So one of the biggest results we have seen is we have freed up 

to 10 percent of water to use for irrigation in the Jordan River ValVerDate 0ct 09 2002 15:26 May 11, 2016 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_MENA\021116\98604 SHIRL
35

ley. That is fresh water that we are now putting back into the system and it is increasing its availability for farmers and beneficiaries alike. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. Well, just to let you know, I come from Orange County, California, and in Orange County we are on a desert 

and we have a water system now—reclamation system in which we 

reuse our water nine times before it is let out into the ocean. 

And I would hope that that type of gray—with the use of technology we can help solve that problem and we should certainly be 

sharing that technology with the people of Jordan. 

And second of all, about the Red Sea to Dead Sea project, is that 

going to be a reality? This is something that is going on that provides both energy and water, does it not? 

Ms. ALEXANDER. As my colleague had previously mentioned, we 

are working to understand a long-term economic viability of the 

project and to ensure that we have plans in place to mitigate any 

environmental impacts of the project. 

We have worked very closely with our colleagues at State and 

consulting with the Jordanians and the Israeli Government and we 

do think there is a meeting coming up where the next phase of this 

will be discussed. 

Mr. ROHRABACHER. I am concerned, frankly, and Madam Chairman, we see this here in the United States as well. There are, you 

know, people who believe the environment and keeping it a clean 

environment is their number-one priority and sometimes they are 

a little bit too, how do you say, unrealistic about the cost of having 

a 95-percent situation rather than a 100-percent situation. 

And the Red Sea to Dead Sea project has been going on for a 

long time and offers such a great potential for benefit for economic, 

and economic benefit means how good—how well people are living—ordinary people—and I would hope that people who are taking 

the extreme positions on the environment are not undermining the 

well being of women and children who are trying to live their lives 

today, which I think would be greatly benefited by that project. 

With that said, we ought to do everything we can and thank you 

for leading the effort to do something good for a good friend of the 

United States. 

Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Thank you so much, Mr. Rohrabacher. 

And thank you to our panelists for excellent testimony. Thank 

you to the Ambassador for joining us, and with that the subcommittee is adjourned because we will have votes in about 5 minutes. 

Thank you so much. 

[Whereupon, at 3:04 p.m., the committee was adjourned. 

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