Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. 4435, Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015; And Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3361, USA Freedom Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the rather elucidating discussion on the way in which the committee system is supposed to work.

Unfortunately, in the Armed Services Committee, the most expensive single project was never allowed to be discussed, and that is the war in Afghanistan--$79 billion in the NDAA for Afghanistan and not 1 second of discussion about the role of America in Afghanistan and about the ongoing war.

The committee structure did not work. Therefore it is to this floor, it is to the membership of this House to take up this critical issue of what is the role of America in Afghanistan. Are we to continue this war or not? If we are to continue it, how are we going to do that? That is our business. That is the business that we were elected to do, and we have been prevented by the actions of the majority in the committee and on this floor to even deal with this issue, to even discuss it for one moment, except in this issue of how the rule is to be written.

This is not right, it is not fair to those of us who want to have a legitimate debate on the role of America in Afghanistan, and it is not in the interest of this country that this House forsake and forgo its responsibilities.

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