Kelly Ayotte: “I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania Senator Casey for his leadership on amendment No. 2172, which is very important.…”

“I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania Senator Casey for his leadership on amendment No. 2172, which is very important. I appreciate what he just said on the floor--the cases of the bravery of Afghan women, the leadership they have shown under tremendously difficult circumstances, and the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorists again. One of the keys to that is that no society can be free, no society can have true safety and security unless the women in the society also have safety and security. So I thank Senator Casey for his leadership in ensuring that we stand by the Afghan women because we cannot succeed in Afghanistan if women go back to what they endured under the Taliban, which was horrific and was wrong, and none of us should accept. So Senator Casey really has been a leader, and I thank him for being so concerned about what will happen in Afghanistan and working to make sure it never becomes a haven for terrorists again; that women in Afghanistan can live with security; that women and girls can go to school; that they can contribute to Afghan society and take part in free elections; and that Afghanistan will be a place where women will no longer be brought into soccer stadiums and violated. So I thank Senator Casey for this amendment and bringing it forward. I am very proud to cosponsor it.…”