"The ongoing war in Afghanistan...threatens to stretch our commitment into another decade. In August you announced the gradual removal of the "surge" troops, and yet over 70,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan at this time next year. This is unsustainable and counterproductive. There is unanimous agreement that the future of Afghanistan depends on Afghans and their regional allies implementing a political solution. there is simply no military solution to the curret challenges in Afghanistan a...
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-I applaud President Obama's decision to finally bring our significant military presence in Iraq to an end. The war in Iraq has cost us dearly - in lost lives, lost billions and lost standing in the world. It is past time to bring our brave troops home to their families - where they belong. Iraq's future must be determined by the Iraqi people. Our military and diplomatic personnel have performed heroically over the past eight years. They deserved - but rarely got - a policy from their governmen...
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Enough is enough. Get out of Afghanistan. The costs in blood and treasure have been too high. Ten years is more than enough. After ten years, it's time to come home.
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REMEMBER, REFLECT, RESOLVE Madame Speaker, Sunday is the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, the day the world changed. 207 names are remembered in the Boston Public Garden 9/11 Memorial. Six were my constituents: Lynn Goodchild; Christopher Zarba, Jr.; Linda George; Robin Kaplan; Dianne Snyder; and Tara Creamer. In those days, Tony Blair challenged the world to use the unity created by the attacks to create a -community of good.- To help the world's most vulnerable; those without schools, food, water or...
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Opening Statement of U.S. Representative James P. McGovern H. Res. 355, Rule for Consideration of H.R. 2560 July 19, 2011 I thank the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Woodall, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks and I yield myself 5 minutes. M. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this closed rule and in even stronger opposition to the underlying bill. This is a closed rule. My friend from Georgia, Mr. Woodall, was on the floor last we...
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On July 6, Congressman Jim McGovern, along with 10 of his colleagues, made a series of speeches and amendments on the floor of the House of Representatives in a stand against a continued course in Afghanistan.
McGovern's floor speech is below.
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Last night the President outlined his strategy for Afghanistan - which included a drawdown of 10,000 troops by the end of this year and an additional 23,000 by the end of next year. I believe this is insufficient and I fear that it means more of the same for the next 18 months. The same strategy means the same costs - and I'm sad to say, even more casualties. More American soldiers losing their lives in support of an Afghan government that is terribly corrupt and incompetent. We've been doing t...
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-The drawdown of American forces that the President announced tonight is insufficient. The President is right that we need to shift our strategy in Afghanistan. But a counter-terrorism strategy doesn't need 70,000 boots on the ground, any more than it needed 100,000 boots on the ground. What the president needs to tell us is how - and when - he's going to bring all the troops home. The American people - and, increasingly, the Congress - believe that instead of nation-building in Afghanistan, we...
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"A token drawdown of a few thousand troops is not acceptable. The American people - and, increasingly, the Congress - are demanding more fundamental change in our policy," said Congressman Jim McGovern. "We will continue to make the point that instead of nation-building in Afghanistan, we need to do some more nation-building right here at home."
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