The only Democrat to oppose the authorization to use force in Afghanistan, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) is calling for the AUMF to repealed after Trump dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb in US history.
In a statement, Rep. Lee said:
Today’s unprecedented use of a MOAB, which is considered the ‘Mother of All Bombs,’ marks a new front in the almost 16-year war in Afghanistan. President Trump owes the American people an explanation about his escalation of military force in Afghanistan and his long-term strategy to defeat ISIS.
No president should have a blank check for endless war, especially not this president, who is acting without any checks or oversight from the Republican-controlled Congress. I urge Speaker Ryan to call Congress back into session, so we can immediately repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force and put real restraints on President Trump’s warmongering.
The use of the “Mother Of All Bombs” feels like escalation, not an ending in Afghanistan. For nearly 16 years, the United States has been fighting a war in Afghanistan. An entire generation of young Americans has been born and nearly reached adulthood while the US has been in Afghanistan.
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The big bomb will make Republicans feel like big men and women, but just like the missile strike in Syria, the question what is the end strategy in Afghanistan? How was dropping the Mother Of All Bombs part of the overall Trump strategy in Afghanistan? Does Donald Trump have a strategy in Afghanistan? If he doesn’t, maybe it is time for Congress to step in and put an end to this generation of war.
The standard can’t be allowed to be set this low for Trump. The administration can’t be launching missiles and dropping bombs without a strategy.
Instead of celebrating America’s military strength and technology, we need to be asking questions about how our military is being used and to what ends.
Rep. Lee will be viewed by some as an extreme liberal, but she is raising important questions that deserve to be answered.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
