Congresswoman Barbara Lee Responds to President's Afghanistan Announcement, Renews Call to End the War Now
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 27, 2014
Contact: Katherine Jolly (510) 763-0370
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement of plan to keep U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2016:
“I respectfully disagree with plans announced today to leave nearly 10,000 troops and an unknown number of contractors in Afghanistan beyond 2014 and to extend U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan until 2016.
“After thirteen years at war, it’s obvious that there is no military solution in Afghanistan and it is far past time to end the war and bring all of our troops home now.
"At the very least, Congress should debate and vote on this agreement that will keep our troops in Afghanistan for years to come and will cost billions more in spending. Enough is enough.”
In November 2013, Congresswoman Lee, along with Reps. Walter Jones, Jr (R-NC) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), authored a letter urging President Obama for a full withdrawal of troops by the end of 2014 and asserting the need to restore congressional oversight of military affairs. Read the letter here.
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Follow Barbara Lee on Facebook and Twitter at @RepBarbaraLee. To learn more, visit lee.house.gov.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee is a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and currently serves as CPC Whip and Chair of the Task Force on Global Peace and Security. Congresswoman Lee serves as a representative from the United States to the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations.