Progressive Congress Action Fund Opposes  Sending Additional Troops to Afghanistan

August 22, 2017

Contact: Olivia Alperstein
olivia@progressivecongress.org

Washington, D.C.—In response to President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will send additional troops into Afghanistan, Progressive Congress Action Fund issued the following statement:

“When it comes to the all-powerful ability to declare war and deploy troops, President Donald Trump and Congress bear a grave responsibility to the American people to ensure that any escalation of military activity is necessary, justified, and will not needlessly put American lives at risk. Nowhere is that responsibility more critical than when considering whether to use military force and deploy military troops.  The decision to deploy additional troops in Afghanistan will not make our country safer; it will only put more soldiers in harm’s way while dragging out an endless, unwinnable war in Afghanistan.

“Trump campaigned on a promise that he would not escalate deployment of troops in Afghanistan. When he took the oath of office, he took up the critical task of serving as the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces. Why has President Trump refused to follow through on Candidate Trump’s promise and sought to increase, not reduce, troops in Afghanistan, a war he labeled endless, costly, and a losing battle? The Afghanistan war is the longest war in our history; another ‘troop surge’ will only prolong our involvement, costing lives without a proper exit strategy for a conflict that has already lasted over a decade and a half.

“The Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001 (AUMF) has been used for nearly two decades to provide a blanket check for military engagement. We strongly urge Congress to repeal the 2001 AUMF and very closely evaluate the continued use of force in regions like Afghanistan, where our nation’s purported quest to spread democracy and freedom has instead yielded death and destruction, belying the mission to fight terrorism. The human cost of this war far outweighs any purported justification for deployment of additional troops.”

###

Progressive Congress Action Fund is a 501(c)4 organization that serves as the vital linkage between grassroots progressive activists and organizations and progressive champions in Congress. We help shape the progressive agenda by turning innovative, forward-thinking ideas into action and amplifying and strengthening progressive messages on the Hill and beyond.