House fails American Public on Afghanistan

House fails American Public on Afghanistan

Whenever we can work in coalition with other groups who share our goals, Tikkun/NSP does so. We have been for many years part of the Win Without War coalition in struggling against the war in Iraq and now Afghanistan, as well as in trying to prevent a war with Iran. We heard from many Congressional people today that the efforts of our coalition were heard on Capitol Hill, and as a result the Lee Amendment got far more votes than it would have otherwise. If you left a message for your congressperson, THANK YOU!!!! Please also read the note below from Human Rights First, an organization with which we are also aligned, on the topic of human rights abuses still in the current House approved NDAA.

--Rabbi Michael Lerner

House Fails American People and US Soldiers in Afghanistan
Coalition Urges Public to Weigh in With Members During Recess

Washington, DC (May 18, 2012)- Win Without War, a coalition of forty national organizations, today urged its members and the public to get in touch with Members of Congress after the House rejected an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that would have brought US soldiers home from the war in Afghanistan. “It is time for Americans be in touch with Members of Congress who are totally out of touch with their constituents on the war in Afghanistan,” said Stephen Miles, Win Without War Coalition Coordinator. “It should begin next week when they return home.”

“Once again, Congress has shown it is far behind the American people," Miles added. “While Americans, by record margins, want the war in Afghanistan to end, our troops to come home, and our nation to stop wasting hundreds of billions of dollars we don’t have, some in Washington insist on keeping up a fight that even our military leaders insist has only a political solution. While we applaud the 113 Members of the House who stood up to end the longest war in American history now, we are also deeply disappointed that the House of Representatives leadership failed to allow a full debate on the war and a vote on the bipartisan McGovern-Jones amendment.”

Win Without War Co-Chair David Cortright added, “The House of Representatives is completely out of touch with voter sentiment. Seventy-eight percent of Americans want the war to end, but House Republicans are voting for it to continue, as a current cost to taxpayers of nearly $2 billion per week. The Senate should reject this waste and urge the President to proceed with the military withdrawal.”

“The war the United States prolongs in Afghanistan is over as far as the American people are concerned,” said Win Without War Co-Chair Susan Shaer. “We need to bring the troops home, ready the Afghans to provide safety, and ensure the rebuilding of a civil society. Including the complete participation of women will ensure security, health care, education and a real, sustainable peace. Congressional understanding of these issues is essential to stemming the unsustainable cost of blood and treasure for everyone involved.”

Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4310, the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. An amendment by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), which would have cut off all funding for the war in Afghanistan except to provide for a safe and responsible withdrawal, was defeated having received 113 votes, including a majority of Democrats. A bipartisan amendment by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC), Adam Smith (D-CA) and Ron Paul (R-TX), which would have called for an accelerated transition out of Afghanistan, was refused a debate and vote by the House Rules Committee. Press reports have indicated that Republican House Leadership did not allow the amendment because they were concerned that it was likely to pass (CNN, 5/17/12). A similar amendment last year received 204 votes, including 26 Republicans.

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The House Also Fails Americans on Human Rights

Washington, DC – This morning, the House of Representatives failed to pass the Smith-Amash amendment to the 2013 Fiscal Year’s defense authorization bill, a measure that would have modified controversial provisions of the 2012 Fiscal Year’s defense authorization act to ban indefinite detention in the United States and repeal mandatory military custody for foreign terrorism suspects. Human Rights First said the vote was a missed opportunity for the House to realign counterterrorism policy with American values.

“It’s a shame that the House of Representatives has turned its back on our nation’s security and the rule of law,” said Human Rights First’s Raha Wala. “Last year, Americans of all political persuasions were dismayed when politicians approved indefinite detention that could extend here in the United States. Today, the House missed an opportunity to change course and realign counterterrorism policy with American values.”

The defense authorization bill will be considered in the Senate Armed Services Committee next week and is expected on the floor of the full Senate shortly thereafter.

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