Ilhan Omar: “October of next year will mark 20 years since the war in Afghanistan started. That is a generation of devastation in…”

“October of next year will mark 20 years since the war in Afghanistan started. That is a generation of devastation in Afghanistan, a generation of our men and women in uniform being sent to fight and die for a war with no exit strategy. And still, to this day, there are people saying that we shouldn't be too hasty in leaving. Too hasty? It has been two decades. Mr. Speaker, there will never be a perfect time to withdraw our troops. There will never be a time when making the right decision does not include some risks. Our obligation to Afghanistan's stability will not end when our troops leave. My amendment sets a clear timeline and clear Congressional intent that we must end our country's longest war. Mr. Speaker, we put this debate in context. I want to say this amendment was offered by my friend, Chairman McGovern, 7 years ago. It passed the House in 2013 with the majority of both parties voting in favor. During that debate, Mr. McGovern stood on the floor and said: ``The future and fate of tens of thousands of uniformed men and women deserve a vote.'' The House took that vote, and 305 Members of this body voted to end the war in Afghanistan. Yet, since then, we have had 7 years of fighting and sustained violence, 7 years of civilian casualties, 7 years of servicemembers being forced to say good-bye to their families and subjected to a terrible trauma. In many ways, it is baffling to me that I have to do this, but I echo Mr.…”