The Time Is Now to Bring Them Home

This morning, I introduced a bipartisan amendment to set in motion a real plan to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

The amendment calls for a plan and timeframe on the accelerated transition of military operations to Afghan authorities, but does not restrict the president's authority to attack al Qaeda forces wherever they are located.

I'm proud to have had such a wide range of bipartisan support from both sides of the aisle, and am hopeful for our vote this afternoon.

The reasons for this amendment are simple: There is no clear mission. The Karzai government is corrupt. And we continue to borrow money to pay for this war.

Simply, we need to re-think what we're doing in Afghanistan. It's time to define the plan to bring our uniformed men and women home to their families and their communities.

I've met with our troops in Afghanistan. I've met with them after they've come home. They're incredible.

But politicians put them into harm's way. And we now have an obligation to get them safely home.

We need to safeguard our national security. But many of our greatest problems aren't halfway around the world -- they're halfway down the block.

Rather than nation-building in Afghanistan, we need more nation-building right here at home.

This is not a partisan issue. It's about doing what's right for our troops and for the nation.

I hope you'll stand with me.

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VIDEO OF MY FLOOR SPEECH: Video of my floor speech on Afghanistan

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