The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee's majority Democratic staff has released a report outlining their suggestions on Afghanistan reconstruction spending.
The report said a higher proportion of U.S. assistance should be conditioned on specific reforms by the Afghan government, particularly efforts to confront corruption and stem the country's illicit drug trade.
It said future assistance should be allocated based on how the new Afghan government appoints top positions within key ministries, and calls on the government to appoint "genuine reformers."
The committee said the U.S. must maintain the highest standards in ensuring security assistance recipients do not violate human rights. It noted concerns by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations on reports of rights violations by members of the Afghan security forces.
According to the World Bank, the United States along with other international donors fund nearly 60 percent of Afghanistan's yearly $7.6 billion budget.
The report comes out a week for midterm elections which could see Republican Senators gain a majority, potentially replacing Democrat lawmakers at the helm of the Foreign Relations Committee.
