[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5770]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
                              AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, as many people know, and I do not say this 
with pride, but for years, I've been signing letters to the immediate 
and extended families of those killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. I have 
signed over 9,966 letters. It is a constant reminder to me of the high 
cost of war.
  Our country is in deep financial trouble. It continues to amaze me 
that we would raise the debt ceiling, spend money we don't have and cut 
much-needed programs from our seniors and children while we continue to 
spend $8 billion a month in Afghanistan.
  Karzai is a corrupt leader. His government is corrupt. He has stated 
that he would rather side with the Taliban than the United States. This 
is based on an article in the Washington Post on December 8, 2010. What 
sense does it make to sacrifice our young American lives, our money and 
our resources for a man who does not want our troops in his country? It 
simply does not make any sense at all.
  According to a March 15 Washington Post/ABC News Poll, 73 percent of 
Americans want our troops out of Afghanistan this summer. Last week, 
every Member of Congress received an Associated Foreign Press article 
from Congressman Peter Welch. I do not have time to read the whole 
article, but let me share some excerpts from his letter to each of my 
colleagues and his colleagues, and I will quote the letter from 
Congressman Welch.
  ``I want to draw your attention to a recent Associated Foreign Press 
article detailing the funneling of USAID dollars to the Afghan Taliban, 
reportedly making Western reconstruction funds the main source of 
income for insurgents.
  ``According to the story, an estimated 10 percent of the cost of 
every development project is used to pay off the Taliban. The United 
States has spent $56.1 billion in Afghanistan since 2002.''
  Mr. Speaker, let me remind the Congress and the American citizens 
that the Taliban are killing and maiming American soldiers and marines. 
It is time that this Congress debate the Afghan war and to bring our 
troops home. Here we are talking about cutting spending for programs 
that help the American people, but yet we continue to send billions and 
billions of dollars to a corrupt leader. It doesn't make sense. Mr. 
Speaker, we could save American lives, which is the most important, but 
also $8 billion a month if we were to bring our troops home from 
Afghanistan.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue to come to the floor once a week, and I 
will bring photographs in the way of posters to remind the American 
people and my colleagues in Washington of the price of war. Right 
beside me now is the Air Force Honor Guard at Dover bringing a hero 
home in a transfer case, which is known as a coffin as well, flag 
draped.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for this Congress to debate the issue of 
bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. How much longer can we 
afford to give lives of our young Americans to a corrupt leader? It 
makes no sense. I want my colleagues in both parties to awaken.
  Jim McGovern, Democrat, and Walter Jones, a conservative, will soon 
have a bill that we will put on the floor to debate bringing our troops 
home. I want the American people to join us in bringing our troops 
home.
  Mr. Speaker, as I do always when I close, I will ask God to please 
bless our men and women in uniform. I will ask God to please bless the 
families of our men and women in uniform. I will ask God in His loving 
arms to hold the families who have given a child dying for freedom in 
Afghanistan and Iraq.
  And, Mr. Speaker, I will ask God to please bless the House and Senate 
that we will do what is right in the eyes of God for the American 
people. And I will ask God to give wisdom, strength and courage to 
President Obama that he will do what is right in the eyes of God for 
His people.
  And I will close by asking God three times, please God, please God, 
please God, continue to bless America.

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