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Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished chairman.
Having recently returned from Afghanistan, I can say to you that our soldiers are resilient, and the people of Afghanistan are looking for their government to provide them with the leadership and the resources to improve their quality of life. But our plan is not working.
And now that we have two of our trusted and wonderful naval personnel missing, and we realize that this is a place that needs a plan, we cannot continue to support this war when the Government of Afghanistan will not stand up. They will have the necessary security forces. They need to be in front of the line.
And we need to provide moneys for Pell grants, for teachers, and firefighters, and police officers, for the settlement for black farmers, 100,000 of them, and for youth jobs and summer jobs for people in America who are unemployed, and those families who need support as a bridge to carry them over.
I believe in this Nation, and I believe in our soldiers. I salute them. And I believe it is time to bring them home with honors. They are our heroes. They have done what they needed to do in Afghanistan. They provided for a democratic government. It's time now to bring them home with honor. Vote ``no'' on this supplemental.
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