Biden also met with Pakistani Prime Minister today:

[Muttocracy]

(thanks to my Google Alert)

http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47070&Itemid=2

PM Gilani meets members of US Senate Foreign Relations Committee

WASHINGTON, July 30 (APP): Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday underlined the importance of fostering long-term relationship between Pakistan and the United States as he met with members of a key Senate panel that unanimously passed a measure on realizing $ 15 billion in economic assistance for Pakistan over next ten years. Invited by chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joseph Biden, the prime minister met with lawmakers including Senator Richard Lugar, Senator John Kerry, Senator Russ Feigngold and other members of the panel.

The Biden-Lugar legislation aims at tripling the annual U.S. economic assistance for Pakistan to $ 1.5 billion and has been described as a landmark measure, signaling the sustained commitment of U.S. Congress to the Pakistani people. The plan has bipartisan backing in both chambers of the Congress.

Prime Minister Gilani welcomed the Biden-Lugar plan and thanked members of the Committee for their expression of support for democracy and socio-economic uplift of the Pakistani people.

[TayTay]

1. Thanks for the notice Joe!

The Pakistan legislation Sen. Biden and Sen. Lugar introduced early this year also passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. It is a good piece of legislation that emphasizes American "soft power" as a means to improving relations with Pakistan.

This should be interesting:

DEFINING THE MILITARY’S ROLE TOWARDS FOREIGN POLICY
HEARING
before the

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time: 2:00 P.M.
Place: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Presiding: Senator Biden

Live webfeed at the committee website tomorrow: http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/


Witnesses:

Panel 1:
+The Honorable John D. Negroponte
Deputy Secretary
Department of State
Washington, DC

+The Honorable Eric S. Edelman
Undersecretary for Policy
Department of Defense
Washington, DC

Panel 2:
+Dr. George Rupp
CEO and President
International Rescue Committee
New York, New York

+Dr. Reuben E. Brigety, II,
Director of the Sustainable Security
Program Center for American Progress
Washington, DC

+Ms. Mary Locke
Former Senior Professional Staff
Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
Washington, DC

+Mr. Robert M. Perito
Senior Program Officer
Center for Post-Conflict Peace
and Stability Operations
United States Institute of Peace
Washington, DC

[gateley]

3. Hey thanks, TayTay! I'll be watching. I always learn so much and LOVE

seeing Joe, natch. :hi:

[gateley]

2. Yep. They all know and like Biden. Rice? Hello? nt

[Muttocracy]

4. I think Negroponte is the real Sec of State (like Cheney is real Pres.) nt

[gateley]

5. I've always envisioned Rice as sitting in on meetings

furiously taking dictation on a steno pad, as to what "she" would be saying later that day.