[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WHY ARE WE STILL IN AFGHANISTAN?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege and the 
humbling experience of going to Walter Reed at Bethesda. It is a 
magnificent medical complex, and our young men and women deserve to 
have that kind of treatment. I was so impressed.
  In visiting the wounded and thanking them for their service, I 
encountered a 22-year-old lance corporal who was wounded during his 
second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Standing there in his room with his 
mother, he asked me why are we still in Afghanistan. I looked at his 
mother and I looked in his face and I said, I don't know. I said there 
are a few of us in the House trying to get our troops back home before 
the 2014-2015 deadline.
  Mr. Speaker, I have beside me a photograph of a triple amputee, a 
soldier, with his wife, who has lost both legs and an arm. Yesterday I 
noted to the doctor who was escorting me around that I saw more double 
amputees than ever before. I saw some down in the rehab center, and I 
saw those in their rooms that have not gotten to that point yet because 
of their severe wounds. He said, Congressman, the number of double 
amputees is going up every week, every month, and it will continue to 
go up.
  My question to the leadership of the House: Why don't you speak out, 
both parties, and call on Mr. Obama to bring our troops home before 
2015?
  It's kind of ironic. I represent the Third District of North Carolina 
and we got hit pretty hard, like most of the States all of the way up 
to Vermont, by the hurricane. It was so ironic last week that we passed 
a continuing resolution that had $2.65 billion for FEMA to help those 
who have experienced disasters like wildfires in Texas to tornadoes to 
hurricanes--$2.65 billion--but yet we found $118 billion to spend in 
Afghanistan and Iraq. Where does that equal itself out? The American 
people get shortchanged while we send $118 billion to Afghanistan and 
Iraq. It makes no sense.
  That's why it's so ironic that the American people have given all of 
us in Congress an 18 percent approval rating. And here we will be 
passing trade bills today to send jobs overseas. That'll be great. The 
American people are tired and fed up.
  But what bothers me more than anything are those young men and women 
over at Walter Reed who are 20, 22, 25. I met a gunnery sergeant who's 
in his early thirties, both legs gone, trying to learn to walk.
  I hope that the leadership in the House and Senate will join Jim 
McGovern and many of us in both parties who are speaking out about 
getting our troops home before 2014-2015. And, Mr. Speaker, I want to 
say to those people who are protesting Wall Street, whether I agree 
with you or not, you have a right to protest. Join us in protesting the 
war in Afghanistan. We are beginning the 11th year. And as the 22-year-
old lance corporal said to me, Why are we still there? I couldn't 
answer him. I don't know. I don't know. Karzai gets $10 billion a 
month, and the people who've lost so much in the hurricanes and 
tornadoes, they get a measly pittance to what Karzai gets.
  Please, American people, join us and put pressure on the House and 
Senate, and let's bring our troops home.
  Mr. Speaker, my close is this: I ask God to please bless our men and 
women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and 
women in uniform. I ask God in His loving arms to hold the families who 
have given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. I ask God 
to bless the House and Senate that we will do what is right in the eyes 
of God for his people today and his people tomorrow. And I ask God to 
give wisdom, strength, and courage to President Obama that he will do 
what is right in the eyes of God for God's people today and God's 
people tomorrow. And three times I will ask from the bottom of my 
heart, God please, God please, God please continue to bless America.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members to direct their 
remarks to the Chair.

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