Congresswoman Barbara Lee Skeptical of Supplemental Funding for Iraq, Afghanistan Requested by President Obama

Press Release

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released the following statement in response to the Obama Administration's request for an $83.4 billion to fund the wars and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan:

"I applaud President Obama for moving forward to address the difficult situations in Iraq and Afghanistan which he inherited from the Bush Administration.

"As the only Member of Congress to vote against the resolution authorizing the use of military force on September 14, 2001, I believe now as I did then that the resolution gave a blank check for military action not only in Afghanistan but throughout the world in the Bush Administration's so called ‘war on terror', and that there is no military solution in Afghanistan.

"Military escalation, which places our brave troops in harm's way, will be counterproductive to the goal of creating a more stable country. A new direction which places greater emphasis on - and devotes substantially more financial and human resources to - regional and international cooperation, humanitarian and development assistance, and non proliferation efforts is needed.

"With regard to funding for the occupation of Iraq, I have consistently worked on a bipartisan basis to ensure that no permanent bases be built in Iraq and have stated that I will only support fully funding the safe and timely redeployment of our troops and contractors out of Iraq."

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