[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2002-H2003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      AFGHANISTAN TROOP WITHDRAWAL

  (Mr. AUCHINCLOSS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend the 
President's decision to end the war in Afghanistan.
  Now Congress must ensure that future Commanders in Chief can never

[[Page H2003]]

again wage failed forever wars. This is also a critical moment to show 
we can defend America and protect the global commons without a $740 
billion defense budget.
  We must repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force; 
reassert congressional oversight of war powers; and cut the Pentagon's 
budget by at least 10 percent as we invest instead in diplomacy, 
humanitarian assistance, and solving global challenges like climate 
change and pandemic preparedness.
  The war in Afghanistan cost our country more than $2 trillion, the 
lives of 2,400 American servicemembers, and credibility at home and 
abroad. The generation that fought in this war must now govern in light 
of its mistakes. Let us resolve to learn from them.

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