WASHINGTON – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Obama announced a plan to keep nearly 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan after 2014:
“After more than a dozen years in Afghanistan, I believe it is time to end the longest war in American history and bring our sons and daughters home. If the administration wants to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond this year, Congress should vote. The American people deserve a voice in issues of war and peace. Automatic renewal is fine for Netflix and gym memberships, but it is not the right approach when it comes to war.”
Merkley has been a leading voice in Congress to end the war in Afghanistan and use those resources to reinvest in jobs, education and deficit reduction in America. Senator Merkley is the lead sponsor of a bipartisan Congressional Resolution that would require the President to seek authorization from Congress to extend American troop presence in Afghanistan past December 31, 2014. The other original cosponsors are Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Rand Paul (R-KY).
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