What to Expect in 2012 from FCNL: Afghanistan-Pakistan

Jan 4, 2012

After the 2010 elections ushered in a political shift in Congress and uncertainty for U.S. war policy, 2011 proved to be a big year for changing the conversation on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy. Powerful members of Congress spoke out, concerned that U.S. policy in Afghanistan was destabilizing the region. An unprecedented 204 members of the House voted yes on the McGovern-Jones exit strategy amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act last May. In December, the Senate approved an amendment offered by Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR) that required President Obama to report the feasibility of the U.S. military leaving Afghanistan before 2014 to Congress.

Uncertainty about the U.S. war policy is so pervasive that Congress was compelled to fund the formation of an Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group modeled on the Iraq Study Group. This FCNL initiative was led by Rep. Frank Wolf (VA). Recommendations from a blue-ribbon committee can help both Congress and the Obama administration adopt a better alternative policy in Afghanistan. FCNL will work to ensure that the sensible recommendations of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group are taken into account when Congress debates U.S. policy in Afghanistan during the fiscal year 2013's authorization and appropriations process.

Under the current timetable, the Afghanistan-Pakistan Study Group report should be completed before the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit on Afghanistan, to be held in Chicago in May. The May NATO Summit on Afghanistan will be a crucial moment of policymaking regarding Afghanistan, affecting policy for decades to come. For this reason, the Study Group report will be particularly timely in influencing the policy discussion. FCNL will work with Congress to both influence the focus of the policy discussion before the May meeting and shape the outcome afterwards.

Much of our focus in anticipation of the May meeting will be geared toward FCNL's Annual Spring Lobby Weekend (March 17-20). Afghanistan will be the primary focus of the event, which brings young adults from around the country to Washington, DC in order to lobby and influence legislators. Lobbying connections built during this event also help FCNL position itself as a respected voice on Afghanistan-Pakistan policy on Capitol Hill. This will better enable FCNL staff to work closely with congressional offices to move the conversation on Afghanistan over the coming year.

For more, see our Afghanistan issue page.