Bringing Our Troops Home
As one of the early opponents of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Congresswoman Velázquez viewed the recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan as an important step. Now, it is the time to end the war in Afghanistan as well.
In her work against the war, Representative Velázquez has voted to direct the President, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, to remove the U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan by no later than 30 days after this resolution is adopted; or if the President determines that it is not safe to remove them by such date, by no later than December 31, 2011. She also worked to pass legislation that will block permanent military bases in Afghanistan and consistently opposed the Department of Defense annual authorization that allows the war in Afghanistan to continue.
She also was a staunch opponent of the Iraq War, frequently voting against it. She voted against the authorization for the use of military force in Iraq, which allowed President Bush to use the U.S. military as he deemed necessary and appropriate to defend U.S. national security against Iraq and enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. Representative Velázquez also signed onto or supported efforts to stop the funding of the war, to investigate President Bush for lying regarding the Iraq War, and to increase the timetable to return troops home.
Finally, Representative Velázquez is a fervent opponent of the U.S.A. Patriot Act and subsequent extensions that attempted to limit the rights of individual Americans. She has voted against allowing the U.S. government to use electronic surveillance to investigate suspected terrorist operatives and against a bill permitting the government to monitor foreign electronic communications which are routed through the United States. She believes that we can protect the nation from foreign threats without undermining America’s basic freedoms and civil liberties.
With a 1.2 trillion dollar deficit that is only projected to grow, now is the time to end the conflicts that are taking valuable resources from this nation and focus on New Yorkers’ educational, infrastructural and job training needs.