According to Kurdpress, citing the website of the US Congress, Don Zimmerman, US Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, in defense of the continuation of Washington's security cooperation with the Kurdistan Region, stated that it is difficult to find a "more ready and capable partner" than the Iraqi Kurdish forces. His comments came in response to concerns raised in Congress about the budget cuts to combat ISIS and its impact on America's allies.

Mike Turner, the Republican representative of Congress, in the meeting of the Armed Forces Services Committee of the House of Representatives of the United States, expressed his concern about the reduction of the budget of the programs against ISIS and specifically raised questions about the future of the American support to Iraq and the Peshmerga forces.

In response, Zimmerman emphasized that the United States "welcomes the support of Congress in allocating funds to continue this partnership." He also related this issue to the changes in the security environment of the region after the recent war in the Middle East.

Mike Turner, a member of the US Congress, said: In the testimony presented by Admiral Brad Cooper, it is mentioned that ISIS has been marginalized by the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdistan Peshmerga. But I am concerned when we look at the overall budget for counter-ISIS, training and equipping, and how these budget cuts will affect our Kurdish allies in Iraq. Can you explain a little about our support for Kurdish allies in Iraq and the future of that support?

US Deputy Defense Secretary Don Zimmerman responded: We have great respect for our Kurdish partners in Iraq. It is difficult to find a more ready and capable group of forces to cooperate with. We welcome the support and funding that Congress has appropriated to continue this partnership.