Lawmakers Bash State Department Over F-16 Sales

Ranking members of the U.S. House International Relations Committee yesterday blasted the State Department for giving them what they said is an inadequate amount of time to consider the planned sale of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, July 20).

The 30-day period for Congress to study the matter ends next week. Lawmakers said the White House did not give them the customary 20-day advance notice of the beginning of that period, AP reported.

That “represents a deliberate and wholly inappropriate maneuver by the State Department to diminish the Congress’ lawful oversight of arms sales,” said committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.).

Top Democrat Tom Lantos (Calif.) said the agency “cut this committee, and this Congress, out of consideration of U.S. arms sales. This insolence flies in the face of both custom and the intent of the Constitution.”

Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs John Hillen said the administration had conducted “unprecedented” consultations with Congress on the sale of up to 36 jets.

“Never before have such extensive arms sales consultations taken place,” he told the committee (Foster Klug, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, July 21).

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