Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has just released a statement strongly opposing the McKeon Amendment to the Continuing Resolution (HJ Res 124) scheduled for a vote today. The amendment would grant Congressional approval for the president’s plan to arm and train “moderate” rebels fighting in Syria to overthrow the Assad government. Repeating the words of a former US Marine Commandant, Rep. Jones asks, “are we arming another Taliban?”
Here is a video of Rep. Jones’ Floor statement:
Below is a transcript of Rep. Jones’ Floor speech:
Mr. Speaker – I want to thank Chairman McKeon for his leadership on this amendment, even though I cannot support it.
Here we go again – committing our resources, both troops and money, to a conflict that can easily become a war without end.
ISIS is more an immediate threat to the Middle East than our nation. Where is the greater Middle East commitment to combat this threat? Why are they not providing the greater commitment of resources to defend their own countries?
Is it not ridiculous that the United States borrows money to buy friendship, buy arms, and train those who could today be our friend but tomorrow our enemy? A former Commandant of the Marine Corps asked me this question and I now ask the House of Representatives: Are we simply arming and training another Taliban?
We all agree this is a difficult and challenging issue, but a strategy with no end state is a failed strategy and I am concerned that the commitment we make today will become an ongoing commitment for which we truly do not grasp the consequences — until it’s too late. That is what my concern is, and the concern of the American people. I think of the 1.7 trillion dollars we spent in Afghanistan and Iraq. I think about the 4,000 Americans that gave their lives, the 30,000 wounded, and the 100,000 Iraqis who were killed. And here we go again. I don’t care if the president is Democrat or Republican. This is a failed policy and it will be proven to be a failed policy.
I close with this, Mr. Speaker. I listened to Mr. Rangel very carefully. This is a quote from Pat Buchanan – “Is it not a symptom of senility to be borrowing from the world so we can defend the world?” It is absolutely senility.
