OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013

Floor Speech

Date: May 17, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Defense

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Mr. GARAMENDI. This morning in California, in Marysville, a young soldier will be laid to rest, one of many. The most important issue facing this Nation--the Afghanistan war--continues on. We have 10 minutes to debate our view of how that should end.

Ranking Member Smith proposed in committee an amendment that would rationally bring down and end this war. He was refused the opportunity--the ranking member, refused the opportunity to even be heard in committee.

And now we are faced with the language in the bill that extends this war indefinitely at a cost this year of $88 billion and at the same level interminably into the future. This deserves a robust debate. What is the role of America in Afghanistan? How long are we to continue there? Unfortunately, that debate is truncated and will be terminated by the majority in an unsuccessful way that extends the war. Why would we do that? Apparently for reasons that are not understood.

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