Exit Afghanistan: The Feingold-McGovern Bill for a Timetable for Withdrawal

[midnight]

Run time: 01:25 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN03fOOCUOg   Posted on YouTube: May 04, 2010 By YouTube Member: justforeignpolicy Views on YouTube: 1477   Posted on DU: May 31, 2010 By DU Member: midnight Views on DU: 220

 
On Thursday, 18 senators voted for Senator Feingold's amendment to the war supplemental requiring the president to establish a timetable for the redeployment of US military forces from Afghanistan. This could be a turning point in US policy on the war in Afghanistan.

With this vote, the number of senators on the record in support of the policy of establishing a timetable for military withdrawal just increased from two to 18: on Tuesday, Senator Boxer added her name to Senator Feingold's bill that would have the same effect.

The other 16 senators who voted yes were Baucus (D-Montana), Brown (D-Ohio), Cantwell (D-Washington), Dorgan (D-North Dakota), Durbin (D-Illinois), Gillibrand (D-New York), Harkin (D-Iowa), Leahy (D-Vermont), Merkley (D-Oregon), Murray (D-Washington), Sanders (I-Vermont), Schumer (D-New York), Specter (D-Pennsylvania), Tester (D-Montana), Udall (D-New Mexico) and Wyden (D-Oregon). (Noteworthy votes against included Senator Franken and Senator Feinstein. Last September, Feinstein called for a specific date for the withdrawal of American forces.)

Wisconsin is so lucky to have Senator Feingold. Bring them home....

[midnight]

1. Urge Your Reps to Support a Timetable for Withdrawal from Afghanistan

This month, we have a rare opportunity to fundamentally change the course of U.S. policy towards Afghanistan: Senator Russ Feingold, Representative Jim McGovern, and Representative Walter Jones have introduced legislation -- H.R. 5015 in the House and S. 3197 in the Senate -- that would require President Obama to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. If this legislation attracts enough support, it could reach the House floor as an amendment, allowing Congress a fundamental -- and widely reported -- vote on the direction of U.S. policy.

The key idea of the Feingold-McGovern-Jones bill is straightforward. By January 1 - or within 3 months of the enactment of the bill, if that is earlier - the President is required to submit to Congress a plan for the redeployment of the U.S. military from Afghanistan, with a timetable for doing so. After submitting the plan, the President has to update Congress every 90 days on how the implementation of the plan is going.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1439/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3035

I post this with the knowledge that this war has just passed the 1 trillion dollar mark, and here is what could be purchased for that kind of money:

What Can You Get For $1 Trillion?
* Federal Funding For Higher Education -- $1 trillion would give the maximum Pell Grant award ($5,500) to all 19 million U.S. college and university students for the next 9 years.
* 294,734,961 people with health care for one year, or
* 21,598,789 public safety officers for one year, or
* 17,149,392 music and arts teachers for one year, or
* 7,779,092 affordable housing units, or
* 440,762,472 children with health care for one year, or
* 137,233,969 head start places for children for one year, or
* 16,427,497 elementary school teachers for one year, or
* 1,035,282,468 homes with renewable electricity for one year

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0531/sad-milestone-cost-wars-passes-1-trillion/