March 10, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1251 NOT VOTING—14 Authorization for Use of Military make a case for the logistics of with- Barrett (SC) Davis (AL) Roskam Force is being interpreted as carte drawal. Bartlett Deal (GA) Schakowsky blanche for circumventing Congress’ After 81⁄2 years, it is time that we Boswell Hoekstra Wamp role as a coequal branch of govern- have this debate. Camp Matsui Young (FL) Conyers Peterson ment. I reserve the balance of my time. My legislation invokes the War Pow- Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE ers Resolution of 1973. If enacted, it opposition to the resolution, and I The SPEAKER pro tempore (during would require the President to with- yield myself 4 minutes. the vote). Members have 2 minutes re- draw U.S. Armed Forces from Afghani- Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to maining in this vote. stan by December 31, 2010. say I have quite enjoyed working with b 1409 The debate today will be the first op- the gentleman from Ohio on this issue and a number of the issues we have had So (two-thirds being in the affirma- portunity we have had to revisit the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military dealings with since I have become tive) the rules were suspended and the chairman, and I fundamentally agree bill, as amended, was passed. Force, which the House supported fol- lowing the worst terrorist attack in with him and other supporters of the The result of the vote was announced resolution that it is right for the House as above recorded. our country’s history. Regardless of your support or opposition to the war to have an open, honest debate on the A motion to reconsider was laid on merits of our ongoing military oper- in Afghanistan, this is going to be the the table. ations in Afghanistan, and outside, first opportunity to evaluate critically f outside, the context of a defense spend- where the Authorization for Use of ing bill or a supplemental appropria- AFGHANISTAN WAR POWERS Military Force has taken us in the last tions bill. This is a good thing to be RESOLUTION 81⁄2 years. doing. Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, pursu- This 2001 resolution allowed military By vesting the power to declare war ant to House Resolution 1146, I call up action ‘‘to prevent any future acts of with the Congress, the Founders in- the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. international terrorism against the tended the United States would go to 248) directing the President, pursuant United States.’’ Those of us who sup- war only when absolutely necessary, to section 5(c) of the War Powers Reso- port the withdrawal from Afghanistan and it is incumbent on this body to lution, to remove the United States may or may not agree on a timeline for consider as thoroughly as possible the Armed Forces from Afghanistan, and troop withdrawal, but I think we agree purpose and ongoing necessity of com- ask for its immediate consideration. that this debate is timely. mitting U.S. forces to battle. The Clerk read the title of the con- The rest of the world is beginning to Now, as a procedural matter, I take current resolution. see the folly of trying to occupy Af- issue with the invocation of section The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. ghanistan: The Dutch Government re- 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution as CAPUANO). Pursuant to House Resolu- cently came to a halt over the commit- the basis for this debate, because that tion 1146, the concurrent resolution is ment of more troops from their coun- section authorizes a privileged resolu- considered read. try. In Britain public outcry over the tion, like the one before us today, to The text of the concurrent resolution war is growing. A recent BBC poll indi- require the withdrawal of combat is as follows: cated that 63 percent of the British forces when Congress has not author- H. CON. RES. 248 public is demanding that their troops ized the use of military force. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the come home by Christmas. In Germany There really can’t be any doubt that Senate concurring), opposition to the war has risen to 69 Congress authorized U.S. military ac- SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED percent. Russia has lost billions of dol- tion in Afghanistan. The authorization FORCES FROM AFGHANISTAN. lars in the 9 years it spent attempting for the use of military force passed by Pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers to control Afghanistan. Congress in late September 2001 explic- Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), Congress di- Our supposed nation-building in Af- itly empowers the President to use rects the President to remove the United ghanistan has come at the destruction force against the terrorists responsible States Armed Forces from Afghanistan— (1) by no later than the end of the period of of our own. The military escalation ce- for the 9/11 attacks and those who har- 30 days beginning on the day on which this ments the path of the United States bored them. President Obama is doing concurrent resolution is adopted; or down the road of previous occupiers just that. (2) if the President determines that it is that earned Afghanistan its nickname But putting aside procedure, the no- not safe to remove the United States Armed as the ‘‘graveyard of empires.’’ tion that at this particular moment we Forces before the end of that period, by no would demand a complete withdrawal b 1415 later than December 31, 2010, or such earlier of our troops from Afghanistan by the date as the President determines that the One year ago last month, a report by end of the year, without regard to the Armed Forces can safely be removed. the Carnegie Endowment concluded consequence of our withdrawal, with- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The con- ‘‘the only meaningful way to halt the out regard to the situation on the current resolution shall be debatable insurgency’s momentum is to start ground, including efforts to promote for 3 hours, with 90 minutes controlled withdrawing troops. The presence of economic development, expand the rule by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. foreign troops is the most important of law, and without any measurement KUCINICH) or his designee and 90 min- element driving the resurgence of the of whether the ‘‘hold’’ strategy now utes equally divided and controlled by Taliban.’’ being implemented is indeed working, I the chair and ranking minority mem- So with this debate today, Mr. don’t think is the responsible thing to ber of the Committee on Foreign Af- Speaker, we will have a chance for the do. fairs. first time to reflect on our responsi- Our troops are fighting a complex The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. bility for troop casualties that are now nexus of terrorist organizations—al KUCINICH) will control 90 minutes. The reaching 1,000; to look at our responsi- Qaeda, the Taliban—all of which gentleman from California (Mr. BER- bility for the costs of the war, which threaten the stability of the Afghan MAN) and the gentlewoman from Flor- approaches $250 billion; our responsi- Government, and they have dem- ida (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) each will con- bility for the civilian casualties and onstrated their ability to strike our trol 45 minutes. the human costs of the war; our respon- homeland. If we withdraw from Af- The Chair recognizes the gentleman sibility for challenging the corruption ghanistan before the government there from Ohio. that takes place in Afghanistan; our is capable of providing a basic level of Mr. KUCINICH. I yield myself such responsibility for having a real under- security for its own people, we face the time as I may consume. standing of the role of the pipeline in prospect that the Taliban once again Mr. Speaker, in 2001 I joined the this war; our responsibility for debat- will take the reins of power in Kabul House in voting for the Authorization ing the role of counterinsurgency and provide safe haven to al Qaeda. for Use of Military Force. In the past strategies, as opposed to counterterror- That would be a national security dis- 81⁄2 years, it has become clear that the ism; our responsibility for being able to aster. VerDate Nov 24 2008 04:06 Mar 11, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A10MR7.013 H10MRPT1 smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with HOUSE H1252 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 10, 2010 I am keenly aware that even if we re- fensive is already producing dramatic ghanistan. I also have two committee main in Afghanistan, and here I want success, including the capture of senior staffers, one in the Army Reserves and to emphasize this, there is no guar- Taliban leaders, the routing of their one in the Marine Reserves, who are on antee we will prevail in this fight. But forces, and the stabilization of key their way now to Afghanistan. This is if we don’t try, we are guaranteed to areas. not their first time in battle. Both of fail. A winning strategy should be sup- these gentlemen have served bravely in President Obama has taken a very ported, not undermined. We must not Iraq, but the prospect of entering com- deliberative approach. He has exam- give Taliban leaders and fighters a bat never becomes routine. They, like ined numerous options over the course shield against U.S. forces that they my stepson Douglas, who served as a of several months and consulted with otherwise cannot stop.