Political Quotes

On the recordJuly 1, 2010
I thank Mr. McGovern for granting me the time and for bringing this amendment. Mr. Speaker, you don't put good money after bad, and this would be putting good money after bad. I was in this Hall earlier with Senator McGovern, in the Speaker's lobby, and I said something to Senator McGovern, former Senator McGovern. He said, Did I hear Vietnam? Well, the echoes of Vietnam are in this Chamber, Mr. Speaker. When people on the other side say they don't want to hear about surrender and that that is not right, we could still be in Vietnam, and we would still be losing American lives and American resources, because that was a war we couldn't win, and some people wouldn't accept it. So we lost more lives and more American economies and more opportunities in America. My district cannot afford another $35 billion and $35 billion and $35 billion in trying to create infrastructure in Afghanistan, which is not a Third World country, but probably like a fifth world country--the third most corrupt nation on the face of the Earth. That is not what the United States of America is known for doing--supporting corrupt countries around the world with a man like Karzai, whose brother is in the opium trade, with a country that predominantly benefits from the growing of poppies and from the spreading of heroin around the world. That is who we are supporting. We should not be spending our money and our lives.…
Said by
Steve Cohen
Democratic · Tennessee

Editor's note · Context

The speaker is addressing concerns about U.S. spending and involvement in Afghanistan.

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