Congressional Oversight of Afghanistan Agreements Act of 2013

Madam Speaker, I come to the floor quite often to remind the Congress that we're still at war. In fact, yesterday we had seven Americans killed in Afghanistan. This year alone, we've had three situations where the Afghans that we were training turned their weapons on the Americans who were trying to help them and killed them.

Our policy in Afghanistan is a total disaster. It is a failed policy, and we're not going to change one thing in Afghanistan. In fact, Madam Speaker, this past week, the new Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, who's a friend of mine--I have great respect for him--was in Afghanistan, and Mr. Karzai accused Mr. Hagel and the American people of negotiating with the Taliban. The Taliban are our enemy and the enemy of Karzai. This just continues to show that this gentleman that leads Afghanistan is, quite frankly, corrupt, confused, and unpredictable.

But what amazes me is this Congress continues to spend $6 billion to $8 billion a month in Afghanistan, when we have this person who is leading that country who, from one day to the next, either likes the American people or he dislikes the American people. In fact, in December of this year, Karzai was quoted in The Washington Post as saying he now has three main enemies: the Taliban, the United States, and the international community; and if he had to choose sides today, he would choose the Taliban. And now he's accusing America of cutting deals with the Taliban.

Again, we had seven Americans killed yesterday. It's time for this Congress to wake up and stop spending money in Afghanistan. History has shown we will never change Afghanistan no matter what we do. Go back to Alexander the Great, Madam Speaker, and look at what he did there. Go to the English. Go to the Russians. Nobody is going to change that country. They don't want to be us to begin with.

So why are we going to cut programs in America for children and senior citizens to make sure that Karzai will get his money? In fact, the inspector general for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, John Sopko, he testified recently that we are averaging spending $235 million a day--$235 million a day--in Afghanistan, and half the projects that we are spending money on are blown up within a few weeks after they are completed by the Taliban.

I do not understand my own party, to say the least. I don't understand the Congress. Why do we want to keep spending money we don't have and deny the American people a fix for this economy and this country?

Madam Speaker, I'm pleased to say that I have introduced, along with my Democratic friend, Rosa DeLauro, H.R. 125, the Congressional Oversight of Afghanistan Agreement of 2013. All we're trying to do is to get a debate on the floor to say: Why would we agree to stay in Afghanistan after 2014 to 2024? This agreement signed by this administration has obligated America to be there 10 more years after 2014. How many more Americans will have to die? How much money will the American taxpayer have to spend in Afghanistan?

Ms. DeLauro and I would like to have a debate on the floor of the House if, for no other reason, if we can't even change the agreement that the President has signed, let the American people know that we want to debate staying there 10 more years and see young men and women die for a corrupt leader, a confused leader, and spend the money that we don't have for the American people. It makes absolutely no sense.

In closing, Madam Speaker, this is just another example of war. These marines are carrying a flag-draped coffin. How many more families have to cry and lose a loved one in a failed policy, a policy where we will never change Afghanistan no matter what we do?

In closing, Madam Speaker, I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform, to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. I ask God in His loving arms to hold the families who've given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I ask God to please continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, this week is the 10th anniversary of the unnecessary war in Iraq. I urge my fellow Members and the American public to watch MSNBC's documentary, ``Hubris: The Selling of the Iraq War,'' on Friday night of this week at 9 o'clock. The documentary sheds light on the manipulated intelligence that got us into Iraq.

Unfortunately, we have not learned from all we lost in Iraq, as President Obama has also committed us to an additional 10 years in Afghanistan thanks to a strategic security agreement he made without Congress voting on it or even debating it.

This weekend I read two articles that really spoke to the corruption happening in Afghanistan. One was an AP article I read in my hometown paper titled: ``U.S. Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan Killing One.'' And the other is from The New York Times titled: ``Afghans Protest U.S. Special Forces: Complaints about Night Raids Sparked Cause for Withdrawal.''

I will quote from the first article:

The crashes come as United States officials are grappling

with tough talk from President Hamid Karzai whose recent

anti-American rhetoric has complicated relations at a time

when international troops are withdrawing from the war.

The article continues saying:

Karzai started the week by accusing the United States and

the Taliban of being in collusion on two deadly suicide

bombings last weekend in an effort to create instability and

give security forces an excuse to stay.

Karzai is one person we cannot trust, and yet we are funding him $8 billion a month. The New York Times article states that Karzai issued a statement that ``referred to U.S. forces in Afghanistan as `infidels,' '' echoing language used by the Taliban.

Mr. Speaker, I just do not understand why more Members of the House are not more concerned about President Obama's 10-year security agreement to keep our troops in Afghanistan until 2024--10 more years after 2014--2024. It makes absolutely no sense. We are financially broke as a Nation.

I am currently in the process of finding out exactly how much money it is going to cost the American taxpayer to keep our troops in this corrupt country for another decade past 2014. Whether the cost is $1 or $1 trillion is too much.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and I have introduced H.R. 125, the Congressional Oversight of Afghanistan Agreement Act of 2013, to make sure that the President does not bypass Congress as he continues to do, but gives us a chance to debate any security agreement that will keep our troops in Afghanistan past 2014.

Mr. Speaker, it is our job as Representatives to make sure the voices of the American people are being heard, and it is only fair that we have a debate in Congress on how long our country's future involvement with Afghanistan will continue.

Mr. Speaker, as always, I bring down a poster that shows the cost of war. In this case, you can see these marines, Mr. Speaker, carrying a coffin, a flag-draped coffin. How many more coffins have to be carried by the soldiers and the marines and the airmen and the Navy of this country when the American people demand that Congress pull our troops out of Afghanistan? It is too long to be there until 2014; it is too long to be there until 2024.

May God bless our men and women in uniform, and God please wake up Congress to bring our troops home.

Mr. Speaker, thank you very much.

Like most of my colleagues last week when we were home, I took as many opportunities as possible to speak at civic clubs, meet with groups of people, and talk about a range of issues. But I also always brought up the fact that we continue to fund a failed policy in Afghanistan. I was pleased and also humbled by the response from these groups as they agreed with me totally; and many of these groups, Mr. Speaker, were actually veterans. I represent the Third Congressional District of North Carolina, the home of Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point Marine Air Station, and we have over 60,000 retired military.

Those who were in the military who are now retired said, You're absolutely right; why doesn't Congress wake up? There's nothing we're going to change in Afghanistan. Stop wasting lives and spending money.

Mr. Speaker, that brings me to this. On Monday, an AP article:

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday ordered all U.S.

special forces to leave Wardak within 2 weeks and requested

that their operations there cease immediately. The restive

province, which neighbors Kabul province and is viewed as a

gateway to the capital, has been the focus of

counterinsurgency efforts in recent years.

Why do we fund a man that doesn't even like us? I don't understand that at all. How in the world can the Congress in its wisdom not speak out and say, Listen, you're talking about a 10-year agreement after 2014? How can a country that's financially broke commit to 10 more years after 2014? I do not understand that.

In fact, I have introduced, with Rosa DeLauro, H.R. 125, the Congressional Oversight of Afghanistan Agreement Act of 2013, which is a bipartisan bill introduced by us, and we are reaching out to our other colleagues to say, Congress, let's get on the floor. Let's debate whether we should stay there 10 years after 2014 or not.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely believe that the American people would back this legislation because the American people have seen the total chaos right here this week, last week, and the next couple weeks to come talking about sequestration. But I don't think the leader of Afghanistan is worried about sequestration because we're going to send him all of the money he wants while we tell the American people, We're going to cut your jobs; we're going to cut your programs. That, to me, is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the American people to say to Congress, let's start rebuilding America and stop rebuilding the rest of the world.

Mr. Speaker, beside me is a poster of a young Army officer who lost both legs and an arm. We fail to realize here in Congress, maybe not all of us, but some of us, that we're still at war. Young men and women are still getting their legs blown off, they're losing their lives many times--not as often as in the past. But let's wake up, Congress. Let's start debating what we're going to do to rebuild our country and stop trying to rebuild the rest of the world.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I will ask God to please not let the American people and not let Congress forget that we have young men and women in Afghanistan. And I will close by asking God to please bless the United States of America and let us never, never forget the sacrifice of war.