House Letter to Obama: We Want Out of Afghanistan

May 10, 2012

Read the official letter here.

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

Last week you visited Afghanistan to sign a Strategic Partnership Agreement. As you stated at Bagram Air Base, “this time of war began in Afghanistan, and this is where it will end.” The core of al Qaeda has been greatly reduced in size and ability to attack Americans. Our brave men and women in uniform have done everything that we have asked of them. With over 17,000 dead and wounded U.S. servicemen and women, and long term costs estimated at $4 trillion for the past decade of unfunded wars, the overwhelming majority of American people want to bring the war in Afghanistan to an expedited end.

While many of us would prefer an immediate full withdrawal from Afghanistan, there is broad, bipartisan consensus in Congress and across America that it is time to accelerate the transition from U.S. to full Afghan control. We also remind you that any agreement committing U.S. troops to Afghanistan must have congressional approval to be binding.

Therefore, at the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago, we ask that you announce an accelerated transition of security responsibility to the Afghan government and security forces and the expedited withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan as quickly as these can be safely and responsibly accomplished.

Sincerely,

Members of Congress

Barbara Lee (CA)
Member of Congress

Walter Jones (NC)
Member of Congress

Co-Signers (92):

Adam Smith (WA),
Tammy Baldwin (WI),
Karen Bass (CA),
Xavier Becerra (CA),
Earl Blumenauer (OR),
Leonard Boswell (IA),
Bruce Braley (IA),
John Campbell (CA),
Lois Capps (CA),
Kathy Castor (FL),
Judy Chu (CA),
David Cicilline (RI),
Yvette Clarke (NY),
William Clay (MO),
Emanuel Cleaver (MO),
James Clyburn (SC),
Steve Cohen (TN),
John Conyers (MI),
Jerry Costello (IL),
Joe Courtney (CT),
Elijah Cummings (MD),
Peter DeFazio (OR),
Rosa DeLauro (CT),
John Duncan (TN),
Donna Edwards (MD),
Keith Ellison (MN),
Sam Farr (CA),
Bob Filner (CA),
Barney Frank (MA),
John Garamendi (CA),
Raul Grijalva (AZ),
Luis Gutierrez (IL),
Janice Hahn (CA),
Colleen Hanabusa (HI),
Alcee Hastings (FL),
Martin Heinrich (NM),
Maurice Hinchey (NY),
Rush Holt (NJ),
Mike Honda (CA),
Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL),
Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX),
Henry C. Johnson (GA),
Tim Johnson (IL),
Dennis Kucinich (OH),
Rick Larsen (WA),
John Larson (CT),
John Lewis (GA),
David Loebsack (IA),
Zoe Lofgren (CA),
Ben Lujan (NM),
Carolyn Maloney (NY),
Ed Markey (MA),
Betty McCollum (MN),
Jim McDermott (WA),
James McGovern (MA),
Michael Michaud (ME),
George Miller (CA),
Gwen Moore (WI),
James Moran (VA),
Chris Murphy (CT),
Jerrold Nadler (NY),
Grace Napolitano (CA),
John Olver (MA),
Ed Pastor (AZ),
Ron Paul (TX),
Chellie Pingree (ME),
Jared Polis (CO),
Mike Quigley (IL),
Charles Rangel (NY),
Laura Richardson (CA),
Bobby Rush (IL),
Loretta Sanchez (CA),
Jan Schakowsky (IL),
Adam Schiff (CA),
Jose Serrano (NY),
Brad Sherman (CA),
Albio SIres (NJ),
Louise Slaughter (NY),
Jackie Speier (CA),
Pete Stark (CA),
Mike Thompson (CA),
John Tierney (MA),
Paul Tonko (NY),
Ed Towns (NY),
Niki Tsongas (MA),
Nydia Velazquez (NY),
Maxine Waters (CA),
Mel Watt (NC),
Henry Waxman (CA),
Peter Welch (VT),
Lynn Woolsey (CA),
John Yarmuth (KY)