Subcommittee on the Middle East and Nort

Jordan Subcommittee on the Middle East and Nort

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 its bilateral relations with the Kingdom. That commitment was reflected in a renewal of our memorandum of understanding, MOU, with Jordan. The 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 stretched to the limit. Through the 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. Jordan's security needs are also substantial because the Kingdom has been a staunch ally in the coalition against ISIS. The stability and security of Jordan are vital if we are ever going to see a secure and stable region.