Political Quotes

“My straightforward bipartisan amendment is cosponsored by Representatives Walter Jones and Jim McGovern. What this amendment does is prohibit any funding for combat operations in Afghanistan after December 31, 2014. Even though some of us would rather have all of our troops returned, the President announced in May that the United States would end the U.S. combat mission in December 2014. This simple amendment codifies and clarifies the President's position. It would also allow Congress to determine and reauthorize any further combat operations in Afghanistan should the President deem it necessary. By reinserting Congress' constitutional authority, this amendment would ensure that we have a debate and a vote in this body for the future of combat operations in Afghanistan. Last month, I joined Congressmen McGovern, Jones, Garamendi, and Armed Services Ranking Member Adam Smith in offering an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have required a congressional vote to continue deployment of U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan after December 31, 2014. Unfortunately, that amendment was not allowed to come to the floor. Instead, to date, the Republican leadership of this House has failed to allow the American people any say in the future of America's longest war.…”