[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4092. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the joint resolution S.J. Res. 54, to direct the removal of 
United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen 
that have not been authorized by Congress; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the end, add the following:

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON TRANSITION OF MILITARY AND 
                   SECURITY OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) After al Qaeda attacked the United States on September 
     11, 2001, the United States Government rightly sought to 
     bring to justice those who attacked us, to eliminate al 
     Qaeda's safe havens and training camps in Afghanistan.
       (2) Members of the Armed Forces, intelligence personnel, 
     and diplomatic corps have skillfully achieved these 
     objectives, culminating in the death of Osama bin Laden.
       (3) Operation Enduring Freedom is now the longest military 
     operation in United States history, and United States 
     involvement in Afghanistan has exceeded $1,000,000,000,000 in 
     costs to the United States taxpayer and continues to cost 
     taxpayers over $45,000,000,000 a year.
       (4) Members of the United States Armed Forces have served 
     in Afghanistan valiantly and with honor, and many have 
     sacrificed their lives and health in service to their 
     country;
       (5) The United States has suffered more than 2,000 
     casualties in Afghanistan (including 13 in 2018 thus far), 
     and the United States has dropped more than 5,200 bombs this 
     year (through September 30), a record high.
       (6) Secretary of Defense Mattis, reflecting consensus 
     within United States and international security experts, has 
     concluded that there is no military solution to the conflict 
     in Afghanistan, stating, ``It's all working to achieve a 
     political reconciliation, not a military victory. The victory 
     will be a political reconciliation.''
       (7) Over the past 17 years, the mission of the United 
     States has evolved to include a prolonged nation-building 
     effort in Afghanistan.
       (8) Such nation-building efforts in Afghanistan are 
     undermined by endemic corruption, high illiteracy, tribal 
     fractions, and a historic aversion to a strong central 
     government in that country.
       (9) The United States Government will continue to support 
     the development of Afghanistan with a strong diplomatic and 
     counterterrorism presence in the region.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the President should complete the transition of the 
     responsibility for military and security operations in 
     Afghanistan to the Government of Afghanistan by September 18, 
     2021, the 20th anniversary of the enactment of Public Law 
     107-40, the Authorization for Use of Military Force against 
     those responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001, in 
     conjunction with efforts by Special Representative for 
     Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad to seek a durable 
     peace between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban;
       (2) reflecting press reports that the President seeks to 
     end the United States military engagement in Afghanistan by 
     2020, the President should devise a plan based on inputs from 
     Special Representative Khalilzad, military commanders, North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, and 
     other allies in Afghanistan, and appropriate members of the 
     Cabinet, along with the consultation of Congress, for 
     completing the drawdown of United States combat troops in 
     Afghanistan and accelerating the transfer of security 
     authority to Afghan authorities; and
       (3) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, the President should submit to Congress a 
     report--
       (A) assessing progress made on the battlefield in 
     Afghanistan since the announcement of the President's New 
     South Asia Strategy and the increase in United States troops;
       (B) assessing efforts by Special Representative Khalilzad 
     to foster a durable peace agreement between the Government of 
     Afghanistan and the Taliban; and
       (C) including a plan for the complete transition of all 
     military and security operations in Afghanistan to the 
     Government of Afghanistan.
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