Largest Peace Group Pushes House Vote to Remove Troops from Afghanistan in 2010

WASHINGTON - Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace group, supported legislation that would force a debate and vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on removing all troops from Afghanistan this year.

"While the timeline may not be perfect in this legislation, it's better than the lack of an Afghanistan withdrawal timeline expressed by the Obama Administration. The resolution will allow debate on the House floor where Representatives will express concerns that the cost of a failed military strategy is too high," stated Paul Kawika Martin, the group's policy and political director.

The bipartisan, concurrent resolution offered by Congressman Kucinich (D-OH-10) today uses section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution which forces action by the House within 15 calendar days. Currently, the House plans a debate and vote next Wednesday.

The group knows that the resolution is unlikely to pass, but argued that congressional debate and oversight is needed at a time when polls show Americans increasing their opposition to the Afghanistan war and connecting huge war expenditures with a lack of funding for domestic needs.

"Just as the U.S. has an exit timeline for Iraq, we need one for Afghanistan. An expressed date of July, 2011 to start military drawdown by President Obama is not good enough," argued Martin who travelled to Afghanistan late last year.

"It's time to transition from more military spending to investing in diplomacy, development and economic stimulus that creates long-term stability in the region."