[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

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                               speech of

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 27, 2010

  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4899, the 
Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010. As long as our troops are in 
harm's way, it's important that they have the tools and resources they 
need to do their jobs safely and effectively. In the meantime, we need 
to be sure that we continue to have the right policy.
  I am pleased that President Obama has been asking the right questions 
about what our exit strategy will be. While I supported the War 
Supplemental, I have a number of concerns with how this effort is 
proceeding. We know that our success depends on having a credible, 
responsible Afghan government. Unfortunately, Afghan President Hamid 
Karzai has not demonstrated that he is willing or able to seriously 
tackle corruption in his government.
  Furthermore, nearly nine years after combat in Afghanistan first 
began we continue to see only limited progress in training Afghan 
security forces and developing the capability for Afghans to take full 
responsibility for the safety and security of their people.
  Of course, even if we have our policy right, we still need full 
cooperation from Pakistan, particularly in preventing Afghanistan's 
western provinces from becoming a safe haven for al Qaeda and allowing 
the Taliban to operate with impunity.
  We must, however, carefully consider the consequences of simply 
cutting and running, which would likely result in the Taliban taking 
over the country and providing a sanctuary to al Qaeda, which continues 
to threaten terrorist attacks on America and other countries.
  I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to hold 
both the Afghanistan and Pakistan governments' feet to the fire and 
closely review the effectiveness of our efforts to stand up competent 
and capable Afghan security forces. I support the War Supplemental 
because we have to give our troops the resources they need to carry out 
their mission and because abandoning the Afghan people now would only 
strengthen those who seek to do us harm. It also endangers the many 
Afghans who have worked with coalition forces to help stabilize their 
country.
  Throughout this difficult war, our troops have performed bravely and 
I am deeply honored by the sacrifices they and their families make. 
Wisconsin families have provided more than their fair share of troops 
to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Recently, the 32nd ``Red Arrow'' Brigade returned to Wisconsin after 
being deployed for one year in Iraq. I was privileged to take part in a 
ceremony to welcome them back and thank them for their exemplary 
service. Their experience shows that with appropriate training, our 
troops can adapt to any situation in order to achieve their mission. We 
must work to ensure that we can bring our troops back home in a 
responsible way that protects America's security.

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