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California Democrats Offer a Better Plan for Afghanistan (#338)
Watch Video | | December 1, 2009 | |
| Mr. Speaker, President Obama will talk to the American people about Afghanistan tonight. He is expected to announce a major new escalation of the conflict. I believe President Obama's apparent decision to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan is a mistake, and I believe that because the past years have taught us that there is no military solution to Afghanistan. That's why I've urged the President to change our mission and to emphasize diplomacy, economic development and humanitarian aid as the best way to stop violent extremism in Afghanistan.
As a Californian, I'm proud to say that the California Democratic Party has passed a resolution that also urges President Obama to change course in Afghanistan. I want to recognize, and I want to thank my friends at the Progressive Democrats of America and the State Party's Progressive Caucus for leading the effort to pass the resolution. The resolution states that ``far from eradicating the Taliban and other insurgencies, the presence of foreign troops has instead strengthened them, creating greater insecurity, death and impoverishment of the Afghan people.''
The California Democratic Party's resolution expresses deep concern for the ``honorable American young men and women who have been killed and wounded'' and the terrible toll of the war on their families. It notes that our involvement in Afghanistan ``continues to cost billions of dollars each month while the United States and particularly the State of California are in an economic crisis without money to fund domestic needs.''
The resolution also calls attention to the plight of the Afghan women who have suffered greatly during the war, and it calls for an end to military action that causes civilian casualties. It urges President Obama to redirect America's ``funding and resources to include an increase in humanitarian and developmental aid.'' It also asks the President to encourage ``multiparty talks aimed at ensuring a Democratic and legitimate representation of the people of Afghanistan, as well as a multiparty regional diplomacy for the safety and stability of neighboring countries.''
Mr. Speaker, the resolution was adopted after the members of the California Democratic Party heard the powerful testimony of Marine veteran Rick Reyes. He has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and he said, There is no military solution to Afghanistan. The problems in Afghanistan are social problems, problems that cannot be fixed militarily.
Mr. Speaker, instead of escalating the war and bringing more destruction to Afghanistan, we must devote our resources to improving the lives of the Afghan people. This change in strategy will achieve a number of very important goals. It will give the Afghan people hope for their future. It will give them a reason to reject violent extremism. It will save the lives of our troops, and it will save the lives of Afghan civilians. And it will save money, money that we need to invest in what will truly make our Nation stronger and safer, which includes energy independence, jobs, and reforming health care so that health care doesn't actually strangle our economy.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot that we should be doing, and this is what the American people want the Obama administration to focus on. That's why I will join with millions of Americans in the days ahead to oppose the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, and to continue to urge our President to change course. |
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