Barbara Lee speaks for me.
At a time when so many Democrats seem unwilling to stand for their principles and unwilling to stand up to the Republicans, Congresswoman Lee is a voice of sanity, a profile in Courage.
Today on CNN, Lindsey Graham came out in support of establishing two permanent bases in Afghanistan. Barbara Lee immediately derided this proposed expansion of the US occupation.
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement in response to comments made by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham advocating for a permanent U.S. military presence in Afghanistan:
"I am appalled by Senator Graham’s comments supporting the indefinite presence of U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan.
Both the House and Senate have passed, and President Obama has signed into law, on multiple occasions, legislation including provisions I authored prohibiting the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.
Rather than advocating for a permanent extension of the costly and counterproductive military occupation of Afghanistan, it is time to finally end America’s longest war and bring our men and women in uniform home.
I will continue my work in Congress to ensure the United States lives up to President Obama’s pledge that ‘we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We seek no military bases there.’"
Lee has been a consistent critic of the War on Terror and the military actions by the United States in the Middle East. On Wednesday, December 1, exactly one year after President Obama elected to escalate the occupation of Afghanistan by sending in an additional 30,000 troops, Congressperson Lee had this to say:
One year ago, President Obama announced to the nation his plans to further entrench the United States into the military quagmire in Afghanistan by sending an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to war.
Since that day, more that 475 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives to this violent conflict - now America’s longest war in history.
There is no end in sight in to the war in Afghanistan and no military solution.
The President’s recent decision to extend the timeframe for the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan forces to at least 2014 has put us on the path to another decade of costly and counterproductive military occupation in Afghanistan.
Enough is enough. This war is not in the national interest of the United States, nor is it supported by the majority of the American people.
Recent reports indicate four out of five Americans oppose the decision to delay the withdrawal of combat troops to 2014. A majority of Americans believe things are going poorly in Afghanistan and have concerns the costs of the war will hamper our ability to address domestic priorities.
As the Obama Administration conducts its scheduled December review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, I urge the President to take this opportunity to heed the growing number of calls from across the political spectrum to end the war in Afghanistan.
It is time to bring our resources and our brave men and women in uniform home. It is time to finally end this war."
Barbara Lee has consistently taken a stand for peace and against curtailment of civil liberties. On September 18, 2001, seven days after 9/11 “changed everything", Lee was only member of Congress to vote against the AUMF against terrorists, which led to the invasion of Afghanistan. She was the only member of Congress to have been proven correct on this issue.
For refusing to endorse an endless war against a concept, Barbara Lee was reviled as a traitor and she and her family received death threats.
Threats did not stop Congresswoman Lee. She voted against the AMUF in Iraq. She voted against the so-called Patriot Act and against its re-autorization, against allowing FISA wiretaps without warrants, against warrantless electronic surveillance, and she introduced legislation to repeal the MCA.
This country needs more people in Congress with the courage of Barbara Lee. It is time to end the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is time to repeal the Patriot Act and the MCA and to say no to further encroachments on our civil liberties.
Barbara Lee speaks for me.