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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 157 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2011 No. 192 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was other Afghan officials called for polit- Representative MCGOVERN before, called to order by the Speaker pro tem- ical and military support for at least which we can submit in the House so pore (Mr. WEBSTER). another decade.’’ that we can get this House behind get- f This is coming from a man who, ac- ting our troops out, because, believe cording to CNN, told a group of tribal me, we’ll be there for 5 to 10 more DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO elders last month, ‘‘America is power- years. It’s not fair and it’s not right. TEMPORE ful, has more money, but we are lions Beside me is a picture from the The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- here. Lions have the habit of not liking Greensboro News-Record. It was taken fore the House the following commu- strangers getting into their house.’’ a few months ago, but this tells it all. nication from the Speaker: President Karzai continued by saying, The title reads, ‘‘Get Out,’’ and there WASHINGTON, DC, ‘‘We want to say that Iran is our broth- are soldiers taking a flag-draped trans- December 14, 2011. er. During the years of jihad, Iran has fer case off the plane. I hereby appoint the Honorable DANIEL been one of the best countries for hos- It is time to bring our troops home WEBSTER to act as Speaker pro tempore on pitality for Afghans. They are our from Afghanistan. It is time to fix the this day. brother.’’ problems here in America, to create JOHN A. BOEHNER, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, it just amazes me that jobs in America. We can certainly use he keeps saying that he doesn’t even that $10 billion a month that we are f like us, but when he needs us, then he sending to Afghanistan and spend it MORNING-HOUR DEBATE likes us. Our young men and women in right here on the American people and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- the military are over there, losing do what’s right to get America back on ant to the order of the House of Janu- their legs, their arms—and dying. How its feet. ary 5, 2011, the Chair will now recog- in the world can we continue to spend With that, Mr. Speaker, I will close nize Members from lists submitted by $10 billion a month when this man says as I always do: the majority and minority leaders for that Iran is its friend—‘‘they are our From the bottom of my heart, God, morning-hour debate. brother’’? please bless our men and women in uni- The Chair will alternate recognition The American people are sick and form. God, please bless the families of between the parties, with each party tired, quite frankly, of being in Af- our men and women in uniform. God, limited to 1 hour and each Member ghanistan. Recently, when I spoke on please hold in Your arms the families other than the majority and minority the floor, I received a letter shortly who have given a child, dying for free- leaders and the minority whip limited thereafter from Jean Bonney Smith in dom in Afghanistan and Iraq. to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall Idaho regarding a recent floor speech Mr. Speaker, I ask God to bless the debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. that I gave. I want to quote a couple of House and Senate that we will do what’s right in the eyes of God. I ask f comments. Then I would like to submit her letter for the RECORD, Mr. Speaker. God to give strength, wisdom, and AFGHANISTAN ‘‘Everything you said made perfect courage to President Obama. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The sense. These are things I’ve been think- And three times I will ask: God, Chair recognizes the gentleman from ing for 2 or 3 years, too. Karzai’s most please, God, please, God, please con- North Carolina (Mr. JONES) for 5 min- recent remarks were just the last slap tinue to bless America. utes. in the face of the American people. [From the News & Observer, Dec. 2011] Mr. JONES. Over this past weekend, How can you convince your fellow Re- U.S. ENVOY: TROOPS COULD STAY IN a published article in a North Carolina publicans of these truths? We can’t just AFGHANISTAN paper was titled, ‘‘U.S. Envoy: Troops stay on this ‘War, Inc.’ course, waiting (By Rod Nordland) could stay in Afghanistan,’’ subtitled, for the next election. It is criminal to KABUL, AFGHANISTAN.—The U.S. ambas- ‘‘The White House echoed that 2014 is our troops.’’ sador to Afghanistan on Saturday raised the not a deadline for total withdrawal.’’ I There are so many people across this possibility that U.S. combat troops could would like to submit the article for the Nation who just wonder why we con- stay in the country beyond the 2014 deadline that the White House had set for their with- RECORD, Mr. Speaker. tinue to support a corrupt leader in a drawal. I will read the last sentence of the ar- country that will never, never change. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, speaking with ticle: I hope, as we get into the new year, a small group of journalists, said that is the ‘‘At a conference in Bonn, Germany, that those of us in both parties can Afghan government wanted U.S. troops to last week, President Hamid Karzai and find legislation, as I have worked with stay longer, the withdrawal could be slowed. b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H8903 . VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:37 Dec 15, 2011 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A14DE7.000 H14DEPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE H8904 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE December 14, 2011 ‘‘They would have to ask for it,’’ he said. ‘‘I ple without coverage and provides the put them in the reckless Iraq adven- could certainly see us saying, ‘Yeah, makes Nation overall with mediocre results. ture. People who are in the front de- sense.’ ’’ Americans get sick more often, take serve our best in terms of equipment He emphasized, however, that no such deci- longer to get well, and die sooner than and facilities. They and their families sion had been made. White House officials said that Crocker’s most of our European competitors; and need to be well cared for, not just in comments were consistent with it previously half that cost is loaded on the backs of the field but when they come home. We stated position. the employers and embedded in the can do this, even in difficult times, if ‘‘The president never excluded the possi- prices of their products. we get our priorities right. And we can bility that there would be some U.S. forces But perhaps the most glaring exam- get our priorities straight and the job here, but he stressed that security would be ple of unsustainability is not our done with less money. under Afghan lead by 2014,’’ said Eileen health care system or our tax system; The cuts initiated by Secretary O’Connor, the embassy spokeswoman. it is the massive defense and security Gates and the Obama administration, Crocker’s comments came as the adminis- tration is engaged in discussions with the Af- spending with escalating costs, which plus what would be required by seques- ghan government on what arrangements is, sadly, not strategically oriented. tration, would only bring our defense should be after 2014. At a conference in Bonn, We cannot continue to spend almost establishment to the level of 2007, ad- Germany, last week, President Hamid Karzai as much as the rest of the world, friend justed for inflation. There is no ques- and other Afghan officials called for political and foe alike, combined. Our military tion that over the next 10 years, we can and military support for at least another was stressed, and continues to be hob- manage that transition and that we decade. bled by the reckless action in Iraq and will have to do it. What is sad is that U.S. DEATHS further challenged by the war in Af- the bill we will be considering today The Department of Defense recently con- ghanistan. Yet we have a defense reau- doesn’t make the progress we need to firmed the deaths of these American mili- thorization that we will be considering get us there. tary personnel: on the floor today that ignores the big f Sgt. 1st Class Clark A. Corley Jr., 35, of picture, does not lay the foundation for Oxnard, Calif., Spc. Ryan M. Lumley, 21, of A TRIBUTE TO PHYLLIS CAUSEY a dramatic scaling back of open-ended Lakeland, Fla., and Spc. Thomas J. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Mayberry, 21, of Springville, Calif., died Dec. spending commitments, especially in 3, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of dealing with issues like a nuclear Chair recognizes the gentleman from wound suffered when enemy forces attacked weapons system far more expensive and Kentucky (Mr. GUTHRIE) for 5 minutes.

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