Kucinich Forces Debate On End to Afghan War
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News Junkie Post
Leigh Ann Caldwell
03/10/2010
Liberal lawmaker, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), will open debate on the Afghanistan war in the House of Representatives, Wednesday. Three hours of debate on his two page resolution, H.Con. Res 248, will take place in the afternoon. The measure calls for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan with in 60 days. Should the President deem a withdrawal too dangerous, the resolution allows until the end of the year.
This is the first time the House will debate President Obama's expanded war in Afghanistan. The President increased the number of troops from 32,000 to an expected 100,000 troops by summer. According to the National Priorities Project, the US is likely to spen $150 billion in 2009 and 2010 for the war.
Rep. Kucinich's resolution invokes the War Powers Act of 1973, which allows the Congress to limit the president's powers to declare war. Because of the nature of the resolution, it limits the ability of House leadership to block the measure from receiving a vote before the full House.
The House is expected to overwhelmingly reject Rep. Kucinich's proposal, but he has the support of 16 progressives and two Republicans who co-sponsored the bill. They include Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI); Ron Paul (R-TX); José Serrano (D-NY); Bob Filner (D-CA); Lynn Woolsey (D-CA); Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC); Danny Davis (D-IL); Barbara Lee (D-CA); Michael Capuano (D-MA); Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ); Tammy Baldwin (D-WI); Timothy Johnson (R-IL); Yvette Clarke (D-NY); Eric Massa (D-NY); Alan Grayson (D-FL); and Chellie Pingree (D-ME).
Eric Massa has since resigned; Rep. Kucinich lost the support of one.
