Congressman for Hopkinton Calls Troops Home

U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-3rd Mass., whose district includes Hopkinton,  today offered a plan and time-frame to speed up U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.

McGovern's motion failed 215 to 204.

But the Worcester congressman was heartened by the vote, which failed by a larger margin last year when Democrats controlled the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Today’s strong bipartisan vote represents a huge step forward in the effort to bring the war in Afghanistan to a close," McGovern said in a written statemnt. "I hope the President recognizes that there is a growing consensus in Congress and the country that our policy needs to change."

McGovern said the accelerated timetable for troop withdrawals he proposed in 2010 got only 162 votes.

Through a spokesman, McGovern said his plan to hand over control of military operations to the Afghan government would not restrict President Obama’s authority to attack al-Qaeda forces wherever they are located.   

 Saying he had attended three funerals this year for those from his district killed in Afghanistan, McGovern scorned the lack of a clear  U.S. mission in Afghanistan and criticized its corrupt government.

Speaking on the House floor during consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, McGovern also said the war, the longest in U.S. history, is being financed by borrowing, at the same time leaders from both parties are trying to trim the national debt and re-start investment in America.

McGovern said recent hints by the administration that a troop drawdown expected to start in July could be a token number of soldiers needs to be counteracted by a clear message from Congress that meaningful numbers of troops need to come home now.

"Rather than nation building in Afghanistan, we need to do some nation building right here in the United States," McGovern said.