INTRODUCTION

Thank you very much Madam Chairwoman, Ranking Member Lowey, and members of the Committee. I am honored to join you here today in support of the President's Fiscal Year 2012 budget request.

Before beginning my testimony, I want to briefly comment on USAID's response to the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan and the remarkable events taking place in the Middle East.

Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Ackerman, distinguished members of the Committee:

Mr. Chairman and Distinguished Members of the Committee,

I am honored to be here today as President Obama’s nominee to be the next Assistant Administrator for the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) in the U.S. Agency for International Development. I am grateful for the confidence President Obama and USAID Administrator Shah have in my leading a bureau which is so central to the United States’ development and humanitarian agenda, and for Secretary Clinton’s support.

Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger and distinguished panel members, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you this morning on the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) activities in Afghanistan. I want to focus my testimony on our civilian efforts related to oversight and accountability of U.S. taxpayer resources in the promotion of good governance in Afghanistan.