Reps. Keith Ellison and Raúl M. Grijalva, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), today released the following statement on the tenth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan:
“After ten years of war in Afghanistan, we must bring our troops home and reinvest in America. The economic and human costs in Afghanistan are far too high and we are crippling our ability to recover from a deep recession.”
“The cost of this war and its share of the federal deficit continue to rise. Americans have invested $460 billion in Afghanistan, and day-to-day life in many regions has yet to improve. At the same time, more Americans live in poverty, desperately searching for a good job and a living wage. It’s time to stop taking the war for granted, think hard about our priorities, and bring our troops home.”
“This year alone we spent more than $120 billion on this war and it is not making America safer. Meanwhile, Medicare, Social Security, and assistance for elderly Americans, unemployed Americans and children are being threatened.”
“We are deeply proud of the hard work and incredible sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform. They have carried out the mission in Afghanistan with dedication and extraordinary competence. They have done all we have asked of them and represented our nation’s best values and ideals. It is time to bring them home and reunite their families. Now is the time to end this war.”
