---

Last Updated on June 13, 2013.

Win Without War applauds the passage by the House of Representatives of legislation supporting a full and accelerated end to the war in Afghanistan and expressing the sense of Congress that any post-2014 US military force in Afghanistan requires new and explicit authorization.

“Today’s overwhelming vote is an important milestone as, for the first time, a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives joined with the American public in demanding an end to America’s longest war,” said Stephen Miles, Coalition Coordinator of Win Without War. “Unfortunately today’s vote comes too late for the more than 2,200 American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.”

The bi-partisan amendment was sponsored by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC), Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA) and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-WA) and was adopted by a vote of 305-121. The amendment specifically strikes language from the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act that supported a continued US military presence post 2014 and expressed the sense of Congress that any such presence requires specific Congressional authorization by June 1, 2014.

Today’s vote was the culmination of several years of legislative efforts led by Reps. McGovern and Jones. After coming close to victory in 2011, House Republican leadership refused to allow a vote on similar legislation in 2012. Legislation modeled on this initiative and offered by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) was however passed by a vote of 62-33 in 2012 in the U.S. Senate.

“Today there are more than 60,000 troops in Afghanistan, fighting a battle that has no military solution. It’s long past time we brought them home before any more blood is shed and any more tax dollars are wasted,” said Miles.

 

June 13, 2013