[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[House]
[Page 30782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        STAND UP FOR THE TROOPS

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Today I will begin circulating two privileged 
resolutions which will trigger debate and votes on a timely withdrawal 
of our troops from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Article I, section 8 of 
the U.S. Constitution makes it Congress' responsibility to determine 
whether or not we go to war or stay at war. Consistent with article I, 
section 8, the privileged resolutions will invoke the War Powers Act of 
1973. I ask for your support of these resolutions which will be 
introduced in the House in January.
  Yesterday, with the Secretary of Defense at his side, the President 
of Afghanistan declared that his country's security forces will need 
financial and training assistance from the U.S. for the next 15 to 20 
years. We cannot afford these wars. We cannot afford the loss of lives. 
We cannot afford the cost to taxpayers. We cannot afford to fail to 
exercise our constitutional right to end the wars.
  Please sign on to the privileged resolutions to end the wars and 
bring our troops home. Stand up for the troops. Stand up for the truth. 
Stand up for the Constitution and Congress' responsibility.

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