“There is simply no rationale for continuing American involvement with no end in sight, rising deaths for civilians and our brave soldiers, declining public sentiment, and serious economic pain at home,” Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich explained to his fellow House members during Thursday’s debate on ending the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. “Continuing our involvement in Afghanistan is not affordable, it’s not just, and it hurts American foreign policy interests. It’s time to go.”
That message, long true but truer now than ever, resonated with 92 members of the House, who joined Kucinich in voting to bring an end to the war in Afghanistan by the end of 2011.
Voting to finish an unnecessary and expensive war were Wisconsin Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin and Gwen Moore, both Democrats..
Voting to maintain endless war were Wisconsin Congressmen Paul Ryan, Jim Sensenbrenner, Tom Petri, Sean Duffy and Reid Ribble, all Republicans, along with sort-of Democrat Ron Kind.
The votes of Baldwin and Moore were the only appropriate ones.
As Kucinich explained, “While Congress pulls unemployment benefits from suffering Ohio families and proposes slashing health care benefits, vital children’s programs, and veterans’ services all because we’re ‘broke,’ it continues to fund a war that has cost us more than $455 billion. We are told we should cut funding for assistance to low-income families with one hand, while with the other hand tens of billions of dollars are approved for a war that does nothing to further our national security.
“The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimates that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost the average American family of four almost $13,000 last year,” adds Kucinich, who says: “Our priorities are simply out of sync. Desperately needed unemployment benefits were filibustered last year because the costs to provide them were not offset with spending cuts or revenue increases. But we are not required to offset the costs of war, even when the war is completely funded by borrowed money — money we have to pay back with interest on the backs of our children and grandchildren.”
The next time some Republicans or compromised Democrats say America is “broke,” ask them how they voted on the bipartisan proposal to end a war that is as expensive as it is unnecessary. If they did not vote to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, they’re not serious about fiscal responsibility — let alone peace.
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