[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9670]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            MILITARY SUPPORT

  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, we are going to hear tonight from 
President Obama about his plans for changes to troop levels in 
Afghanistan.
  Last week I joined with a bipartisan group of my Senate colleagues on 
a letter to the President urging him to begin a sizeable and sustained 
reduction in troop levels, and I hope he takes the opportunity to do 
that tonight. But with all the talk about troop levels, I want to make 
sure we remember this isn't just about numbers. It is about real people 
with real families, men and women who are fighting to defend our 
country and are depending on us to do the right thing for them now and 
when they come home.
  As chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have an 
inside look into something that too often doesn't make the front pages: 
the unseen costs of war, the costs that come after our men and women 
take off that uniform.
  We all hear about how expensive war is while we are fighting it. But 
for so many of our servicemembers what happens on the battlefield is 
just the beginning.
  We are seeing suicide rates that are much higher among Active-Duty 
servicemembers and veterans than among civilians. We are finding they 
are having trouble accessing the mental health care so many of them 
desperately need. We are watching as these men and women are sent out 
on tour after tour. Too often they are having a tough time finding a 
job when they come home. We owe it to them and their families to do 
everything we can to get them the support and services they need.
  Far too many of our servicemembers have sacrificed life and limb 
overseas, and we must honor them and their sacrifices by making sure we 
take care of them and their caregivers not just today, not just when 
they come home, but for a lifetime. This is going to be expensive, and 
I am going to fight to make sure it happens. I think it ought to be 
considered as we think now about the war in Afghanistan.
  The enemy we face is real. The Taliban and al-Qaida have demonstrated 
through their actions and their words they mean us great harm. I was 
sitting in the Capitol on September 11, 2001, when I saw the smoke 
rising from the Pentagon. It is a moment and a day I will never forget.
  As Americans, we know what this enemy is capable of, and we need to 
do everything we can to make sure something like that never, ever 
happens again. That is why I believe American forces need to be 
prepared to fight terror and terrorists wherever they may be.
  After September 11, Afghanistan was providing safe haven for them, 
and we are absolutely right to go in and take them out. But we know 
terrorism isn't a country; it is a network and a threat that exists 
around the world. We have seen that our terrorist enemies are not tied 
to a specific location. They are not bound by lines on a map. They are 
in Afghanistan, but they are also in Yemen, in Iraq, in Pakistan, and 
elsewhere. In fact, our top target in the war against terrorism, Osama 
bin Laden, was just killed in a brave operation in a safe house in 
Pakistan.
  It is absolutely critical we have a military that is prepared to take 
on our threats wherever they may be. So as we consider the wars we are 
fighting now in Afghanistan and in Iraq, we need to make sure we aren't 
overextending the servicemembers we are counting on; that we continue 
to have the financial resources available to defend ourselves against 
the very real threat of terrorism that continues to exist; and that the 
costs and resources of boots on the ground for years on end doesn't 
inhibit our ability to go after terrorists wherever they are. We need 
to know our military and intelligence operations are nimble and have 
the resources they need to keep our Nation safe from all threats.
  We have been fighting in Afghanistan for 10 years. I voted for that 
war. It was the right thing to do. Our brave men and women in uniform 
have done everything we have asked of them, including finding Osama bin 
Laden. But we need to make sure today that our strategies are adapted 
to meet the threats of today. Leaving large levels of troops in 
Afghanistan is not the best use of our resources, especially in these 
tough economic times. It is time to redeploy, rebuild our military, and 
focus on the broader war on terror.
  I am hopeful President Obama will make an announcement tonight that 
reflects those current realities, and I am going to keep working with 
this administration, the Pentagon, the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
and all others so that as we fight to keep America safe and to take 
care of our servicemembers coming home, we do it right.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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