Barbara Lee: “Congress cannot continue to write a blank check for a war in Afghanistan that has ultimately made our country less safe. Our brave men and women in uniform have been put in an impossible situation in Afghanistan where there is no military solution. We should use this money to bring them home.”
Earl Blumenauer: “We need success at home. The elements in the bill for veterans exposed to Agent Orange and for FEMA are a start. I cannot support a bill that spends $37 billion in Afghanistan while denying $10 billion for teacher jobs, $1 billion for summer youth employment, $5 billion for Pell grants, and $701 million for border security. My votes signal in the strongest possible terms that this war must be wound down and not escalated.”
James McGovern: “the same old same old is simply not working, and it’s costing us dearly. At a time when the American people are suffering through the worst economy in generations, we’re told that we can’t afford to extend unemployment benefits. We’re told that we can’t afford to help States keep cops on the beat or teachers in the classroom. We’re told we can’t afford to help more families send their kids to college. But today, we’re asked to borrow another $33 billion for nation-building in Afghanistan. Well, with all due respect, Madam Speaker, I think we need to do some more nation-building here at home.”
Dennis Kucinich: “Our troops are being placed in mortal peril because of poor logistics, countless innocent civilians killed by mistake, an Afghanistan Government which is hopelessly corrupt, Pakistan intelligence collaborating with the Taliban against the U.S., the Pentagon understating the fire power of the insurgents, a top Pakistani general visiting a suicide bombing school monthly. Will we go deeper in this war in Afghanistan despite an abundance of information that it’s time to get out?”
Dave Obey: “Last year, as the administration was undertaking its Afghanistan review, I expressed my concern that the best policy in the world could not succeed if we did not have the tools on the ground, namely, the effective cooperation of the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, to accomplish it. I submit today that those critical tools are not at hand. The Afghan Government has not demonstrated the focused determination, reliability, and judgment necessary to bring this effort to a rational and successful conclusion. Even if we could have greater confidence in that government’s capacity, it would likely take so long that it will obliterate our ability to make the kinds of long-term investments in our own country that are so desperately needed.”