[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Jones) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, I learned that there would be 
no cost-of-living adjustment this year for those living on Social 
Security. Not only will Social Security recipients not see a cost-of-
living increase this year but, also, disabled veterans.
  There are over 131,000 veterans on disability in North Carolina who 
will be suffering this year. Our senior citizens and disabled veterans 
are having a difficult time making ends meet, and it is not fair that 
the Federal Government continues to waste money with failed policies 
like Afghanistan. It is disgraceful.
  Mr. Speaker, we will be raising the debt ceiling of this Nation for 
years to come because of wasteful spending. This means we will be 
borrowing more money to continue spending more than we take in. Our 
annual Federal deficit is still over $400 billion a year.
  The American people are sick and tired of our wasteful spending, and 
I know they are frustrated. Once again, our failed policy in 
Afghanistan is a prime example of the waste, fraud, and abuse of the 
American taxpayer dollar, but it continues on and on for years to come.
  In the recent House-Senate conference bill, Congress included $38 
billion for the Overseas Contingency Operation, which is a slush fund 
used to get around sequestration spending caps for the Department of 
Defense.
  We have already spent over $685 billion in Afghanistan since 2001, 
and according to the Congressional Budget Office, we will be spending 
at least $30 billion a year in Afghanistan for the next 8 years, and 
Congress has never debated the policy of Afghanistan.
  This slush fund goes to fund our never-ending wars in Iraq, Syria, 
and Afghanistan. We continue to spend money on a fool's errand in the 
Middle East. Meanwhile, our disabled veterans at home cannot keep up 
with the rising costs of daily living. President Obama will be keeping 
10,000 troops in Afghanistan through all of next year and at least 
5,000 there after 2016.
  Mr. Speaker, years ago, I reached out to a former commandant of the 
Marine Corps whom I knew, and I asked him to give me his advice on 
Afghanistan. Many times he has given me his best advice, but one that 
has stuck with me for years is this--and I quote the commandant:
  ``What do we say to the mother and father . . . the wife . . . of the 
last marine or soldier killed to support a corrupt government and 
corrupt leader in a war that cannot be won?''
  Mr. Speaker, that is Afghanistan. It is a waste.
  How ridiculous it is that Congress and the administration think we 
can change history. The history of Afghanistan has shown that no 
outside military force has ever changed it, from Alexander the Great, 
to the British, to the Russians. It is truly the graveyard of empires, 
and I hope we won't have a headstone there, waiting, that will read, 
``Welcome, America, to the graveyard of empires.''
  Mr. Speaker, this poster beside me is a reminder of the cost of war 
in Afghanistan. There is a little girl holding her mother's hand as 
they are waiting to follow a caisson down to bury the little girl's 
father and the wife's husband.
  Congress, wake up. We are heading for collapse in this country. Let's 
not continue to spend and waste money, blood, and limbs in Afghanistan.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, 
to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform, and, God, 
please bless America and please wake up the Congress before it is too 
late.

                          ____________________