Lee wants troops and military contractors out of Afghanistan

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Lee Introduces Bill to Require Withdrawal of Troops and Military Contractors From Afghanistan

By Staff

Aug. 1, 2010, 3:20 p.m. - Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-09) introduced the "Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act", which would limit funding for Afghanistan and enact a withdrawal of U.S. troops and military contractors.

On September 14, 2001, I voted against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Afghanistan that I knew would be interpreted as a blank check to wage war anywhere, at any time, and for any length.

Sadly, after ten years of military engagement in Afghanistan my worst fears of war without end of been realized. And there is no end in sight.

It is time for Congress to act in accordance with the will of the American people and begin to responsibly end this war.

My legislation will finally end combat operations in Afghanistan and limit funding for the safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops and military contractors.

Every additional dollar invested in the war and occupation in Afghanistan is a dollar we take away from Americans struggling to receive quality healthcare, educate their children, and provide for their family.

The Responsible End to the War in Afghanistan Act will ensure we do not provide another dime to escalate Americas longest war.

Lee Issues Statement on the Passage of Fair Sentencing Act

Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement after the House on Wednesday passed S. 1789, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. The legislation changes a 1986 law under which a person convicted of crack cocaine possession received the same mandatory prison term as someone with 100 times the same amount of powder cocaine. The legislation reduces that ratio to about 18-1.

The bill will now go to the Presidents desk for his signature.

Some 25 years ago, in the attempt to address the rampant use of crack cocaine and reduce violent crime in urban communities throughout the country, Congress enacted laws that subjected an untold number of African Americans to unreasonably long prison terms for crack cocaine possession convictions, Lee said. The unfortunate reality is that the same law provided far more lenient prison terms for people arrested for the possession of powder cocaine.

With the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act, we have started to move toward creating a more reasonable and balanced system of sentencing that reduces the disparity between prison sentences for crack and powder cocaine. While more changes are needed in our drug sentencing guidelines, I do believe the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act is an important first step in reducing sentencing disparities that adversely affected African Americans. I will continue to work on this important matter until we achieve full equity by having a 1-1 fair sentencing system.

We must eliminate any form of discrimination faced by defendants based on the type of cocaine they are charged with possessing. Moreover, I am committed to addressing the root causes of drug use.

One Hundred House Members Join Barbara Lee in Urging President Obama to Support Global Fund to Fight AIDS

One hundred House members joined Lee in sending a letter to President Obama encouraging him to make a three-year commitment of at least $6 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This pledge would be consistent with the bipartisan Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 and help achieve the goals of the Presidents Global Health Initiative.

The Global Fund is on the leading edge of the best practices and principles of effective foreign aid. Recent mid-year results announced this June indicate that the Fund has provided support for anti-retroviral HIV/AIDS treatment for 2.8 million people, while 7 million people have been treated and tested for tuberculosis, and 122 million bed nets have been distributed to prevent malaria.

"Last week I attended the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna to learn about the current state of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and get a sense of how our collective response to is working, said Lee. There's a lot of concern in the international community that we are not providing the necessary funding to meet our promises to combat this disease. This letter sends a strong message to the President that we are ready to stand with him and make a strong commitment to the global fight by providing $6 billion for the Global Fund over the next three years."

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Barbara Lee Votes No On War Supplemental

Lee (D-CA) released this statement following her vote in opposition to the Supplemental Appropriations package that would fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She released this statement:

Less than a month ago, Congress finally began the debate on the war in Afghanistan that should have been held nine years ago. While evidence continues to mount that our military engagement in Afghanistan has become a quagmire of corruption and ill defined objectives, this supplemental appropriations package will provide another $33 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that have already cost this nation more than $1 trillion.

Congress cannot continue to write a blank check for the war in Afghanistan that has made our country less safe. Our brave men and women in uniform have been put in an impossible situation in Afghanistan where there is no military solution.

It is time to provide funding for only the safe and orderly withdrawal. No more funding for combat operations.

We cannot spend another dollar to escalate Americas longest war. The costs of these wars are too enormous in blood and treasure.

We must stand in opposition to a policy of war without end and begin to reexamine our priorities.

Cummings Pleased To Recognize 100th Anniversary of United States Coast Guard Academy

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) managed the passage of H.Con.Res. 258, Congratulating the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy and its staff for 100 years of operation of the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

I was proud to shepherd this Resolution through the House of Representatives, said Cummings. The Coast Guard Academy has produced thousands of our nations best, brightest and bravest; the men and women of our United State Coast Guard. They function as our countrys last line of defense and so often as the first rescuers at the scene of an emergency. We, as a nation, owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, both for their work in the classrooms of the Academy, and their service under the flag of this great land. I congratulate the Coast Guard Academy for a wonderful 100 years and hope they will continue producing the leaders of tomorrow for 100 years to come.

The School of Instruction to the U.S. Revenue Cutter Academy was established at Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut, in 1910, and later became known as the Coast Guard Academy after the consolidation of the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915. The Academy moved to its present location along the banks of the Thames River in 1932.

In1946, the former German Navy training vessel HORST WESSEL was acquired by the United States for use by the Coast Guard and renamed EAGLE, which today travels around the world each year.

Today, the Coast Guard Academy is a highly competitive educational institution that attracts driven, committed leaders who go on to serve our Nation in the many diverse roles played by our Coast Guard. The rigorous academic program of the Coast Guard Academy provides a holistic education that includes academics, physical fitness, character, and leadership, and that trains cadets in the multiple roles of the Coast Guard's multimission responsibilities.

Cummings Recognizes 20th Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act

Cummings recognized the 20th anniversary of the landmark passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Act created a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Monday afternoon, Rhode Island Congressman James Langevin, the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress, was lifted to the podium in the well of the House of Representatives, where he presided as Speaker Pro Tempore of the House. Langevin was the first wheelchair-bound Representative to serve in that capacity.

The courage shown by Jim Langevin is but an echo of the staggering courage shown by those throughout this nation who have been helped by this historic piece of legislation, said Cummings. Our nation has always been one in which all Americans are created equal, and must be allowed an equal chance to live their American Dream. The Americans with Disabilities Act has provided that opportunity for millions. I applaud the work of my colleagues who fought so hard to get the Act passed, and those who work today to ensure that it continues to allow disabled Americans the rights they deserve.

ADA was signed by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.

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