| (WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today will follow up on her letter last week to Secretary Clinton with a special address on the House Floor calling for the Administration to cancel a pledge to Libya which would send $400,000 to Qadhafi-run organizations. Statement of Ros-Lehtinen:
“Especially at a time when ordinary Americans are struggling to make ends meet, you would think the State Department would see the problem with paying out taxpayer dollars to the Qadhafi clan.
“Yet, a large chunk of the now-tainted $2.5 million in democracy funds for Libya is being entrusted to the dictator’s children.
“Empowering the family that gave a hero’s welcome to the Lockerbie bomber just weeks ago is no way to support democracy.
“This is waste in its more egregious and offensive form. We can and must do better.”
Note: Congressional Notification 09-246 advised Congress of the Administration’s intent to obligate $2,500,000 in Economic Support Funds (ESF) for Libya. Of this amount, $200,000 is to be provided for the Qadhafi Development Foundation, which is run by Saif al-Islam al Qadhafi. An additional $200,000 will be used to support the Wa’ettasemon organization, run by Colonel Qadhafi’s daughter Aisha Maummar al Qadhafi, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to which Aisha serves as Goodwill Ambassador.
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