It is now in order to consider amendment number 5 printed in house report 116457. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from minnesota seek recognition . Ms. Omar i have an amendment at the desk. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will designate the amendment. The clerk amendment number 5 printed in house report number 116457, offered by ms. Omar of minnesota. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to House Resolution 1053, the gentlewoman from minnesota, ms. Omar, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from minnesota. Ms. Omar mr. Speaker. October of next year will mark 20 years since the war in afghanistan started. Thats the generation of devastation in afghanistan, a generation of our men and women in uniform being sent to fight and die for a war with no exit strategy. And still to this day, there are people saying that we shouldnt be too hasty in leaving. Too hasty . Its been two decades. There will never be a perfect time to withdraw our troops. There will never be a time when making the right decision does not include our risk. Some risk. Our obligation to afghanistan will not end when our troops leave. My amendment sets a clear timeline and clear congressional intent that we must end our countrys longest war. We put this debate in context. I want to say this amendment was offered by my friend, chairman mcgovern, seven years ago. It passed the house in 2013 with the majority of both parties voting in favor. Doing that dedid during that debate, mr. Mcgovern stood on the floor and said, i quote, the future and fate of tens of thousands of uniformed men and Women Deserve a vote. The house took that vote and 305 members of this body voted to end the war in afghanistan. Yet since then, we have had seven years of fighting and sustained violence. Seven years of civilian casualties. Seven years of Service Members being forced to say goodbye to their families and subject them to a terrible trauma. In many years, its baffling to me that i have to do this. But i echo mr. Mcgoverns words from 2013. The future and fate of thousands of uniformed men and Women Deserve a vote. As a survivor of war, i can tell you that even one more minute of conflict comes with a cost thats too great for most to imagine. Finally i want to say that i do not believe that the end of military engagement should be the end of our obligation to the afghanistan people. My amendment called for a comprehensive peace plan that includes all sectors of civil society. It calls for renewed engagement on diplomacy and development. It calls us to fulfill our moral and strategic obligation but not to risk one more life of american Service Members in a war with no clear objection. Mr. Speaker, i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. For what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition . Mr. Thornberry claim the time opposition and yield two minute to the disting distinguished gentlelady from wyoming ms. Chaney. Ms. Cheney i rise in strong opposition to this amendment. Our forces remain in afghanistan to prevent terrorists from establishing safe havens from which they can launch united against the states. My colleague, ms. Omar, has said war. A survivor of and i honor the fact that she has been able to find safety and refuge and citizenship and opportunity and freedom and that me today on the floor of this body, this peoples house. Think that tells you what an incredible nation the United States is. But i also think that as someone as a s described herself survivor of war, she would recognize more fully the damage devastation that was done to the United States of america on september 11 when we terrorists who trained and plotted and launched from bases in afghanistan. About troop levels in afghanistan must be based on ground. Ns on the wars dont end because the United States retreats. Is we have ceded the ground to our adversaries. Because some end number of years have passed. Isis, fight al qaeda, afghanistan or whether we want to fight them here. N the wake, mr. Speaker, reports that russia is paying the taliban to kill united indefensible. Is whether you are a democrat or a republican. To ge my colleagues recognize the decisions about troop levels must be made based is necessary to prevent terrorists from establishing safe havens they can use to ttack all of us and the freedoms and the values we hold dear. This is a dangerous amendment. To oppose olleagues it, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back. Minnesota. Oman from ms. Omar last time this 2013, nt was voted on in again, it got 305 members of for it. Y to vote nothing has changed since then. Minute and a e half to ms. Lee of california, to only member of the house vote against the 2001 war. Rization for the speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california is recognized. Lee thank you very much, speaker. First, let me thank congresswoman omar for ntroducing this amendment and for your tremendous leadership. Also, to chairman mcgovern, who this amendment several years ago when it passed the house with support, as said, more n omar than 300 members, over 300 members. Our war in afghanistan began two decades ago. At that time we drafted, debated and passed an authorization for of military force in three days. Three days. No time limit. D it Gave Authority for a mission defined and vaguely that it has essentially created blank check for 20 years of war. Es, i was opposed then to that resolution. But quite frankly, i gain no satisfaction my fears have been justified. But i do think there is a lesson here and that is that Congress Role to play a more active in defining the scope and timing of how america makes war. Will argue riends against this amendment by saying we cannot tie the hands of the military. Them to look at where we are. When Congress Fails to insist on our s and guidelines for military, the mission gets confused and lost. Negotiated an agreement to bring our role in afghanistan to an end. Has said ent himself that he intends to bring our troops home. His amendment will provide the accountability for doing so. Its far past time to bring you, two decades, mind two decades of nonstop war to an end. Wars have spanned wider and wider across the globe. 30 seconds . Nother the speaker pro tempore how much time . Very much. Ank you the speaker pro tempore is the gentlelady yielding . Ok . Lee 30 seconds, is that the speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Cost us these wars have 5 trillion and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The war in afghanistan is the war in American History with troops now fighting a war before they ched were even born. Enough is enough. This is a thoughtful and to berative way for us untangle our military from afghanistan and bring this long war to an end. So i want to thank the minnesota for her tremendous leadership and bringing this important and i nt to the floor support it. The speaker pro tempore all time has expired. Texas. Tleman from mr. Thornberry mr. Speaker, im pleased to yield one minute to a combat veteran, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Crow. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from colorado is recognized. Crow thank you very much. After almost 20 years and thousands of lives, the war in must come to an end. I know because i served two the t tours there and saw horrors of that war. Thats why since coming to the ess ive been on forefront of efforts to end the war and reassert congress war some of the d authorizations of use of military force. But in doing so, we must not be by artificial deadlines dictated by Election Year politics. With our ordinate allies who still serve shouldertoshoulder with us. Protect our troops during very highrisk withdrawal operations. We must prevent a resurgence of saw in in iraq. Important we saw in iraq. We must have safeguards for the women and afghanistan. We must get our troops home and dedicate our resources here. The coming sh it by election day. Many of my colleagues and i hare the same goals, but theres a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. Thats why i urge my colleagues this amendment. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. Texas. Tleman from mr. Thornberry mr. Speaker, im leased to yield one minute to another distinguished combat veteran, the gentleman from multon. Setts, mr. The speaker pro tempore moulton. Berry mr. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. Mou moulton thank you, mr. Speaker. Share the same goals as my colleagues. And i have tremendous respect for ms. Omar who has brought this amendment for debate. Think theres anyone who wants to bring the troops home ore than someone like mr. Crow who has served on the ground in afghanistan in combat. Is an objective for this war. Went is a reason why he and put his life on the line for this country. Prevent another terrorist attack here at home. Solemn duty to protect the people of the United States nd maintain our national security. We didnt end world war ii by germans, were oing to withdraw by a certain deadline. E came home when the job was done. We can have a very wise and important debate of whether doing the job well in afghanistan and as quickly as possible. Gone. t forget why weve the speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. Mr. Moulton we cant forget to come home. Thanks, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas. R. Thornberry mr. Speaker, am i correct that the gentleladys time has expired . The peaker pro tempore gentleladys time has expired. Mr. Thornberry mr. Speaker, i yield myself the remaining minute. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Thornberry somewhere, to comecommon sense has in. Ultimate withdraw of u. S. Troops. In return, the taliban has more ed to play a constructive role in the country. This amendment says were leaving anyway no matter what does. Liban it wraps up their fondest wish, hands bow on it, and just it to them, betraying the brave afghanistan who have worked and sacrificed to uild a better country and work sidebyside with us to prevent another terrorist attack against us. That seems to make no sense. Thing . Ld we do such a s all the speakers have said, we all want to ultimately leave afghanistan. We should do so in a way that is fair to our allies, fair to the eople of afghanistan, and it is now in order to consider amendment number 9 printed in house report 116457. For what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin seek recognition . Mr. Pocan mr. Chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will designate the amendment. The clerk amendment number 9 printed in house report 116457 offered by mr. Pocan of wisconsin. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to House Resolution 1053, the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. Pocan, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. Pocan. Mr. Pocan thank you very much, mr. Chair. If you ask just about anyone what is americas greatest threat, the answer isnt going to be another country or a political