Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendments to H.R. 4899, Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

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Ms. PINGREE of Maine. I thank my colleague on the Rules Committee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the $37 billion in this bill for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I oppose this war funding, and I believe that our presence in Afghanistan is not strengthening our national security. Instead of spending this money on a war that doesn't make us any safer, I believe we should be reducing the deficit and investing here at home.

After the events of 9/11, the United States went to Afghanistan to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and dismantle al Qaeda, not to occupy the country or to build the Afghan government, a government that has proven time and time again to be one of the most corrupt in the world.

June was the deadliest month for our U.S. military personnel since the war began in 2002. And while the loss of one American servicemember is tragic, the loss of over 1,000 brave Americans for a cause that doesn't make America any safer is something we cannot tolerate.

Military and intelligence officials have said there are now only 50 to 100 al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan, which begs the question, why do we need over 100,000 troops over there? Does the United States really need 1,000 troops and $1 billion a year to fight each single member of al Qaeda?

We are pursuing a failed strategy in that country and have somehow confused nation building with fighting the war on terror. We have watched too many times as our colleagues here on the other side of the aisle and in the Senate vote not to extend unemployment benefits or pass funding that would help keep firefighters and teachers on the job because they said we can't afford it. Isn't it time to start asking whether we can really afford a war that costs $7 billion a month? It is time we really need to support our troops and deploy them from Afghanistan.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to strip out the wasteful and unnecessary funding in this bill. The American people and our brave servicemembers deserve to know our intentions in Afghanistan. That is why we need the administration to develop a timetable for withdrawal immediately.

The American people want us to end this war, and it is time for us to bring our men and women in uniform safely home.

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