Congressional Record UNUM

E PLURIBUS

United States

of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 112th

 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION

b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m.

Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

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H5333 

Vol. 158 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2012 No. 115 

House of Representatives 

The House met at noon and was 

called to order by the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. WOMACK

f 

). 

DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO 

TEMPORE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following communication from the Speaker: 

WASHINGTON, DC, 

July 31, 2012. 

I hereby appoint the Honorable STEVE

WOMACK to act as Speaker pro tempore on 

this day. 

JOHN A. BOEHNER, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

f 

MORNING-HOUR DEBATE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of January 17, 2012, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists submitted by 

the majority and minority leaders for 

morning-hour debate. 

The Chair will alternate recognition 

between the parties, with each party 

limited to 1 hour and each Member 

other than the majority and minority 

leaders and the minority whip limited 

to 5 minutes each, but in no event shall 

debate continue beyond 1:50 p.m. 

f 

FAILED POLICY IN AFGHANISTAN 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The 

Chair recognizes the gentleman from 

North Carolina (Mr. JONES) for 5 minutes. 

Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, again, I try 

to get to the floor once a week to talk 

about our failed policy in Afghanistan. 

Last Thursday, an article in Politico 

reminded us of the difficulty of trying 

to change a culture like Afghanistan. 

It is nearly impossible. For centuries, 

outside influences have been trying, 

but we are never going to be able to 

change the belief systems and culture 

of the Middle East. 

The Politico article stated that parts 

of Afghanistan were stuck in the 14th 

century. We are supporting a corrupt 

country and a culture where it is commonplace for grown men to have sexual 

relations with young boys. The American taxpayer should be outraged to 

know that their tax dollars are going 

to support this kind of practice. 

Yesterday, The Washington Post published an article, titled, ‘‘U.S. Construction Projects in Afghanistan Challenged by Inspector General’s Report.’’ 

While discussing the fact that projects 

implemented in Afghanistan by Americans will not be possible for the Afghans to sustain once the United 

States leaves, the question for policymakers in Washington is whether the 

massive influx of American spending in 

Afghanistan is actually making the 

problem worse. 

One such project to provide electricity requires purchasing diesel fuel 

to run the generators enough to power 

about 2,500 Afghan homes or small 

businesses and is projected to cost the 

United States’ taxpayers about $220 

million through 2013. 

Mr. Speaker, it is just billions and 

billions and billions going to Afghanistan and very little accountability, and 

yet we are cutting programs for the 

American people. To me, it makes no 

sense at all. 

Mr. Speaker, again I brought a poster 

down. This is a new one that I purchased myself. There is a little girl 

holding her mother’s arm. The mother 

is being escorted by an Army officer, 

and the little girl is looking at the 

caisson that is carrying her father. Her 

father is under an American flag. The 

father was killed in Afghanistan for 

America. 

I would say to this family: You 

should be very proud of your father. 

I would say to Congress: Why can’t 

you understand that you’ve got a failed 

policy in Afghanistan, and these young 

men and women are dying? 

These young men and women are losing their legs and arms, and yet we 

keep sending $10 billion a month to a 

corrupt leader where they have the 

practice of adult men making love with 

boys over there in Afghanistan. I just 

don’t understand the Congress, to be 

honest with you. 

Mr. Speaker, as you and many know, 

I have Camp Lejeune Marine Base in 

my district. In the last 10 days, three 

marines have been killed in Afghanistan. I salute their families and thank 

them for the gift of that loved one. 

How many more young men and 

women have to die in Afghanistan? 

How many more taxpayer dollars have 

to go to prop up a corrupt leader? Afghanistan will not survive under 

Karzai. The Taliban will eventually 

take over. 

Mr. Speaker, before closing, as I always do, first I would like to ask the 

American people to contact their Member of Congress and say bring our 

troops home now, at least no later than 

2014, and stop spending our taxpayers’ 

money when you can’t even account for 

what it is being spent for in Afghanistan, and start spending it right here in 

America to rebuild our roads, schools, 

and infrastructure. 

So on behalf of this little girl and her 

mom, and all of the families who’ve 

given loved ones dying for freedom in 

Afghanistan, I will close this way: 

God, please bless our men and women 

in uniform. God, please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. 

God, in your loving arms, hold the families who have given a child dying for 

freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. God, 

please bless the House and Senate that 

we will do what is right in God’s eyes 

for the people of today and the people 

of tomorrow. And I ask God to please 

bless the President of the United 

States, to give him wisdom, courage, 

and strength to do what’s right for 

God’s people here. And three times I 

will say, God, please, God, please, God, 

please continue to bless America. 


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