Congresswoman Lee Applauds President Biden’s Withdrawal of Troops from Afghanistan
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today applauded President Biden for keeping his promise of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, effectively ending the longest war in American history.
President Biden today announced that he will begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan with the goal of eliminating the presence of all troops by September 11, 2021—twenty years since the beginning of the war.
“I applaud and strongly support President Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. We are finally doing the right thing, and we’re now on the cusp of ending the longest war in American history for good.
“20 years after being the lone vote against the 2001 AUMF, a blank check for endless war, we are finally taking a decisive step to end the war in Afghanistan. This is the result of decades of hard work by activists, advocates, and members of Congress committed to ending our forever wars.
“I’m proud to have worked on a bipartisan basis with Congressman Ken Buck to urge President Biden to withdraw troops in the early days of his administration. This will be a bold step toward reversing the military-first approach our government has taken for far too long.
“President Biden was right to mention in his speech today the need to protect rights for women and girls in Afghanistan. I appreciate his renewed investment in achieving diplomatic and development goals. This illustrates his understanding that building sustainable peace in Afghanistan will require long-term bilateral and multilateral efforts. In my role as Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, I look forward to continuing to work with the administration to ensure women, girls, and vulnerable populations receive the vital assistance they need.
“While this is an extremely encouraging step, much work remains to be done. We must utilize this momentum to rein in executive war powers, repeal the outdated and obsolete 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, and put that power back in the hands of Congress and the people, the way the constitution intended."