In an often contentious session that ran late into the night, the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee took up a range of priorities as it aimed to cut $6.4 billion from President Barack Obama's budget requests.
But to come into force, Republican lawmakers will need to reach a compromise with the Senate where Obama's Democratic Party retains control and is mostly supportive of the administration's international outreach.
In one key measure, the bill would impose further conditions on assistance to Pakistan at a time of mounting US concern about the country's military and intelligence in the wake of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
"The language in this bill puts that government on notice that it is no longer business as usual and that they will be held to account if they continue to refuse to cooperate," said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Republican chairwoman of the committee.
The Obama administration recently suspended about one-third of its $2.7 billion annual defense aid to Pakistan. But it has assured Islamabad it is committed to a five-year, $7.5 billion civilian package approved in 2009 that aims to build schools, infrastructure and democratic institutions.
The Republican bill would put that civilian aid in the firing line, requiring the United States to cut it if the administration does not certify measurable progress by Pakistan in fighting Islamic militants.
Representative Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the committee and a main author of the 2009 bill, said he agreed on the need to "get tough with Pakistan" but disagreed on restrictions over civilian aid.
"The key to long-term stability in Pakistan, and the only way we'll ever get Pakistan to change its behavior, is by strengthening its civilian institutions -- not weakening them as this bill will do," Berman said.
The committee was expected to make a final vote Thursday, when it will also take up controversial issues including a Republican proposal to ban aid to non-governmental groups that provide abortions.
Obama had requested some $96 million geared toward the five countries in the fiscal year starting in October but that includes aid to non-governmental organizations, which would not be affected.
The Republicans also pushed through the elimination of the $44 million in US funding for the Organization of American States, a regional bloc of 35 countries.
