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In a Washington Times op-ed published Tuesday, Chairman McKeon wrote that recent successes in Afghanistan should not be used as justification for withdrawing from Afghanistan. He argued progress in Afghanistan is fragile and reversible and should be vigorously protected:
“It’s so big [the defense budget] that you can make relatively modest changes to defense that end up giving you a lot of headroom to fund things like basic research or student loans or things like that.” -President Obama, July 6, 2011
Eighteen months ago, President Obama ordered a surge of U.S. troops into Afghanistan, a prudent strategy reflecting conditions on the ground. Yet he also made the imprudent decision to publicly announce an arbitrary timetable for withdrawal beginning this month. This date had nothing to do with military strategy, but President Obama insisted on it, saying, "I can't lose the whole Democratic Party."
U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee praised all Members of the committee for their work to provide for our nation’s common defense and making transparency a hallmark of the Committee’s activities.