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June 29, 2010
Dear Ms.
Thank you for contacting me about the war in Afghanistan. I am honored to hear from you and proud to represent you. Since coming to Congress, I have been working to advance my policy agenda based on four key priorities - peace, prosperity for working families, environmental sustainability, and support for human and civil rights.
I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 5015, which directs the President to submit a plan to Congress for the redeployment of U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan. The bill also calls for a timetable for the completion of the redeployment by January 1, 2011, or 90 days after the enactment of H.R. 5015, whichever is sooner. Finally, H.R. 5015 reigns in wasteful government contracts by directing the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction to make recommendations for increased oversight of contractors in Afghanistan, particularly those that have a record of engaging in waste, fraud, or abuse.
You may also be interested to know that I am a proud co-sponsor of H.R. 3699, which would "prohibit any increase in the number of members of the United States Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan." While H.R. 5015 would ensure that we bring our troops home, H.R. 3699 would ensure that we do not commit any more U.S. soldiers to this near decade long conflict.
I am convinced that the U.S. still has a fundamental and integral role to play in the nation's reconstruction. I believe that in order for Afghanistan to prosper, the U.S. must partner with the Afghan government to train its military and police forces so that they may ultimately become self-sustaining. This training component is increasingly critical to the success of our policy in Afghanistan as the eventual pullout of U.S. military forces draws closer. Additionally, I believe that the Afghan government must crack down on corruption, empower women's rights, and strengthen civil society in general. Rest assured that I plan to work with my colleagues in Congress, as well as President Obama, to craft and implement a working strategy for peace and security in Afghanistan.
As always, feel free to contact me on any issue of concern. Please sign up for our e-newsletter by visiting www.ellison.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Keith Ellison United States House of Representatives
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