House Republicans Introduce Amendment to Have U.S. Troops Withdraw from Afghanistan

Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced an amendment to the NDAA on Tuesday that would end America’s war in Afghanistan and provide for the orderly withdrawal of troops therefrom.

Gaetz and Biggs introduced Sen. Rand Paul’s S.J. Res. 12, the AFGHAN Services Act, as an amendment to H.R. 6395, which is the legislation for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The House conservatives’ amendment would repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), direct the Department of Defense (DOD) to devise a plan to provide for the orderly withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and give U.S. service members involved in the war on terror a $2,500 bonus.

“This amendment affirms what President Trump knows and believes: unfocused, unending wars in the Middle East make America weaker, not stronger. Instead of sending our soldiers to blood-stained sands of the Middle East, let’s care for veterans here at home and instead of ill-fated adventurism, let’s put America first,” Gaetz said in a statement on Tuesday.

Biggs, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement on Wednesday:

President Trump is ready to end America’s endless wars. That’s why Congressman Gaetz and I are determined to lead this fight in the House by introducing Senator Rand Paul’s AFGHAN Services Act as an amendment to the House NDAA. American taxpayers cannot afford to continue funding a war that is no longer in our national security interest.

However, the bipartisan, pro-intervention, pro-war caucus in Congress is comfortable with the failed status quo and will fight our good-faith effort at every turn. I urge House leadership to make this amendment in order and let our constituents see whether their Representative is an advocate for perpetual war or peace through strength.

Biggs and Gaetz’s proposal follows as Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the chair of the House Republican Conference, cosponsored an amendment with Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would restrict Trump’s ability to withdraw from Afghanistan. The amendment was passed into the NDAA.

In an interview with Breitbart News Tonight host Rebecca Mansour, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), a military veteran who served in Afghanistan and voted against Cheney’s amendment, called Cheney’s amendment “egregious” and “exactly the opposite of what we should do.”

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.