Bilingual Weekly
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-CA) today issued support statements with regards to House Concurrent Resolution 28 (HCR-28): the Afghanistan War Powers Resolution. HCR 28, would have directed the President to remove the U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan by the end of this year. The Resolution was considered by the House of Representatives during the March 17, 2011 session, and defeated by a floor vote of 321 to 93.
“The U.S. Congress continues to lag far behind American public opinion on the war in Afghanistan. Evidence from opinion surveys reveals that Americans have greatly shifted their opinion on the war, with a two-thirds majority now opposing the war,” stated Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), author of HCR 28.
Congressman McNerney, represents San Joaquin County’s 11th Congressional District, ran in 2007 with a commitment to veterans and the war on terrorism. At the end of the session McNerney noted that, “Our country’s military involvement in Afghanistan is deeply personal for me and is a policy to which I’ve devoted a great deal of thought and consideration. My son Michael joined the Air Force shortly after 9/11 because he wanted to do his part to keep us safe from terrorism, and he continues to serve as member of the Air Force Reserve,”
10-years ago, in October 2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom along with British Armed Forces in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States. “Our country has now been at war for almost a decade, and it is our responsibility to ensure that there is a well-defined plan to bring this mission to a close,” explained Congressman McNerney. In January 2011, Business Week reported that the Pentagon had roughly allocated 97,000 troops in Afghanistan with an estimated $2.7 billion dollar cost during fiscal year 2008.
McNerney added that committing resources to an endless war is not in the best interest of our country’s security or economic stability. “At a time of grave economic challenges here at home, we’re spending billions each year on the war while corruption within the Afghan government continues to flourish.”
The 93 votes supporting an end to the war in Afghanistan demonstrates an increase to ending the Afghanistan war as last year only 60 members supported a similar bill. “Vigilantly guarding against future terrorist attacks is a critical priority, and I am committed to keeping our country safe. After much consideration, I have come to the determination that we can best achieve this goal by ending large-scale military operations in Afghanistan, which will allow us to more effectively concentrate our resources on protecting our national security and fighting terrorism,” explained McNerney.
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