[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 164 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6243-H6244]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE IN AFGHANISTAN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I have been on the floor so many times over
the last year or so talking about the 16
[[Page H6244]]
years of war in Afghanistan and the waste of money, but, more
importantly, the waste of life.
The titles that I am going to share with the House today have
appeared in October and November in articles, national articles, about
the failed policy in Afghanistan. I would like to share those very
quickly.
``U.S. Pledges Another $800 Million to Afghanistan Despite Rampant
Corruption.''
``Four Americans Die in Suicide Blast At U.S. Base in Afghanistan; 17
Others Wounded.''
These are headlines, Mr. Speaker.
``Latest Afghan Attack Raises Perplexing Questions on Security.''
Another title: ``The U.S. Spent Billions Building Roads in
Afghanistan. Now Many of Them Are Beyond Repair.''
Another title: ``Inspector General: Pentagon Must Explain Afghan
`Ghost Soldier' Problems. Funding for Afghan Military Wasted on Non-
Existent Soldiers.''
Mr. Speaker, 200,000 Afghanistan ghosts that the taxpayers of America
have been paying for their services, and they don't even exist.
When I read that, I wrote a letter to the Defense Secretary, Ash
Carter, and I said to Secretary Carter: Please explain how much money
did we pay to the ghosts that don't even exist? How long have we been
paying the ghosts that don't exist? We are talking about 200,000 Afghan
soldiers that don't even exist.
Mr. Speaker, I do not understand why the House of Representatives
does not have a debate on our policy regarding Afghanistan. How much
longer can a nation that is $19.8 trillion in debt--that is America,
$19.8 trillion in debt--and how many more billions of dollars can we
keep putting into the black hole of Afghanistan and keep losing our
young men and women in a country that is never going to change?
It goes back to Alexander the Great. It goes back to the British. It
goes back to the Russians. Anyone who has ever gone into that country
known as Afghanistan has eventually left, and they knew there was
nothing they could change.
Not America, though. We have been there 16 years. We don't even
debate it on the floor of the House. We will be passing a DOD funding
bill pretty soon, and there will be billions of dollars going to
Afghanistan and there will be very little debate on it. There are those
on the Democratic side and the Republican side, Mr. Speaker, who do
care about our troops, who do care about the wasted money, and who do
care about a policy that has no end to it.
It is not fair to our men and women in uniform. They deserve better
from this Congress. It is our constitutional duty that we debate policy
that sends our young men and women to die. Yet we do not debate it. It
just goes on and on.
This poster that I brought with me today, Mr. Speaker, before I
close, I have signed over 11,000 letters to families and extended
families who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recently, we
have had seven Americans killed in Afghanistan. I do not understand why
we are so void of a debate. James Madison would have been very
disappointed, Mr. Speaker. It was Madison who said that it is the
legislative branch that will debate and vote on war, not the executive
branch.
But we have abdicated our responsibility to the President and let the
President decide what the foreign policy should be and how we should
use our men and women in uniform. That is a sad day for America.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the House for this time. I close by
asking God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please
bless the families of our men and women in uniform and hold in His
loving arms those young Americans who have given their life for this
country. God bless America.
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