Reps. McGovern-Jones drop bill to end war in Afghanistan

By Matt Southworth on 05/05/2011 @ 04:30 PM

Tags: Afghanistan, Middle East, War Is Not the Answer

Today, just five days after the announcement of Osama bin Laden’s death, a bipartisan cadre of unlikely partners, led by Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) and Rep. Walter Jones (NC) introduced a bill to end the war in Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act, H.R. 1735, calls for a clear plan from President Obama to Congress that provides: a report on the accelerated transition from U.S. to Afghan authority and a completion date for the redeployment of U.S. forces; quarterly reports on the human and financial costs of continuing the war; and the estimated savings of redeploying U.S. troops within 180 days of the report being issued. (i.e., if this war was over in six months, how much would the U.S. save now, five years, 10, and 20 years from now?)

The prospects for support are increasing, as opposition to staying in Afghanistan has been steadily building for several years—especially over the last few days. In 2009, Rep. McGovern offered a bill similar to H.R. 1735 requiring an exit strategy for U.S. forces in Afghanistan; the bill failed to pass by a vote of 138-278. The Afghanistan exit strategy bill was re -introduced in March 2010. Last July, the bill was offered as an amendment to the war supplemental and failed by a vote of 162-260—building opposition to the war by 24 votes.

The ultimate goal, of course, is 218 votes—the number required to pass the bill. Realizing the political difficulty that represents, a practical goal this year is 185-195 affirmative votes—significantly more than 2009 and certainly enough to grab the attention of the Obama administration. Of the members who voted for the exit strategy bill in 2010, 152 are still around. Assuming they continue to support the initiative, that is the base. (See how your member voted in 2009 and 2010.)

The timeframe on this bill is very short. McGovern plans to offer the bill as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, currently scheduled for a vote on the House floor during the week of May 23rd.

There is a sense of great urgency here. While building over 40 votes in just a few weeks seems daunting, if there was ever a moment where it could be done, this is it. Osama bin Laden’s death is a absolute game changer. The incident has provided bipartisan political support to change course in Afghanistan. This political space could act to court members who have previously been on the fence about the policy. Moreover, public opinion is clear: the war is not worth it.

Use your voice, contact your member of Congress today. Tell them to co-sponsor H.R. 1735 and end the longest war in U.S. history.

UPDATE: Rep. McGovern offered an amendment similar to H.R. 1735 to the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment was narrowly defeated 204-215 on May 27, 2011. See FCNL's analysis here. See how your member voted here.