New Afghanistan Policy

Floor Speech

Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as a 29-year Air Force veteran and prisoner of war for nearly 7 years, I know what happens when you try to run a war from the White House: you lose. Winning the war in Afghanistan, defeating al Qaeda, is vital to the safety of our Nation. To quote the President, ``If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans.''

So let's listen to the military leadership in Afghanistan. Setting a timeline to end military engagement is not the way to win a war. Instead, it empowers our enemies and sends a wrong message to our troops, our allies, and the American people. We need to listen to the experts on the ground instead of the politicians who are thousands of miles away from the front. We need to stop talking about exit strategies and troop withdrawal and focus on giving our troops the resources they want, need, and deserve.

Let's eliminate the rules and fight to win.

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