[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4933]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              AFGHANISTAN

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the chance to visit 
Afghanistan to get a firsthand perspective of the status of our 
withdrawal, as well as to visit some of our deployed Hawaii troops.
  Our servicemembers continue to serve with the highest level of 
professionalism, selflessness, and integrity. I'm grateful to them and 
their families for their unwavering coverage and sacrifice.
  Our military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan are committed to 
the ongoing transfer of responsibility for security to the Afghan 
National Security Forces. The Afghan forces are made up of warriors who 
are ready to fight and who are already leading a majority of the 
security operations, building confidence in their ability to withstand 
the Taliban and insurgency threats.
  The U.S. drawdown is crucial for our military and our resources to 
focus on addressing imminent and direct threats like North Korea. Along 
with Guam and Alaska, Hawaii's families have been placed in the 
crosshairs of this threat. We cannot be complacent. We must take action 
to ensure that our families and assets are protected and defended.

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