On the recordDecember 1, 2011
I rise in support of Senator Merkley's calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. I support bringing our troops home for two reasons: First, we can't afford what we are spending today in Afghanistan. Second, we need to focus on nation building here at home. We are spending $10 billion per month in Afghanistan. Every dime of it is deficit spending. We should listen to the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen. He said our debt is the top security threat facing the United States. We can't continue down this path. Our troops continue to serve heroically on some of the toughest missions imaginable. They have done everything we have asked of them-- and we have asked a lot through weekends and holidays, over frigid mountains and hot deserts. The service of the men and women of the military has been nothing short of remarkable. It is now time to hand over the responsibility of this war to the Afghans. Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently held a Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, among leaders and elders from across Afghanistan. The assembly approved a resolution calling for the Afghans to take the lead role of the war effort. Let's take them up on their offer. Let's not have American men and women doing the work that Afghans want to do for themselves. For years we have been putting war spending on our national credit card.…
