[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 105 (Thursday, July 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1341]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

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                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 1, 2010

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Lee Amendment.
  The war in Afghanistan is now the longest in our nation's history. It 
has cost the lives of over 1,150 American soldiers, hundreds of allied 
troops and scores of Afghan civilians. It has drained our nation's 
Treasury at a time of immense domestic challenges. It has strained our 
relationships with allies in the fight against terrorism. And it is 
making us less safe, not more, by inciting anti-American sentiment 
across the world.
  I supported this war at its outset. After the horror of September 
11th, our nation faced a clear need to strike the Taliban and the Al 
Qaeda operatives it supported. While I disagreed with the Bush 
administration's conduct of the war, I believe President Obama has 
tried to make a decisive effort to improve the situation and chart a 
course for bringing our troops home.
  However, the Afghan government has proved to be inadequate to the 
tasks before it. President Karzai has not proven to be a trustworthy 
partner. Flawed elections, rampant corruption, missing money, and a 
lack of accountability have crippled international efforts to establish 
the rule of law. This is a fundamental problem of governance, and a 
problem that the continued presence and heroic efforts of our troops 
cannot change.
  In 2007, I cast a similar vote to advance redeployment from Iraq as 
it was clear to me that the Iraqi government would only begin to chart 
a path towards stability once it realized that our commitment was not 
open-ended. I look forward to the completion of our redeployment from 
Iraq by the end of next year.
  Today, as we determine the future of our commitment to Afghanistan we 
must pledge not to completely disappear from involvement in 
Afghanistan, but neither should we be willing to commit to the 
indefinite task of nation-building with a government that has proven an 
unwilling and incapable partner. Although I recognize the significance 
of President Obama's announcement of a timeline for withdrawal 
beginning in July 2011, I do not believe we have the luxury to wait a 
year to begin this process.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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