Iraq and Afghanistan

Fighting the Right War
After 9/11, I supported sending troops into Afghanistan to hunt down those responsible for the attacks on our soil: Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. But I opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning because it took us away from our real mission. We need to start bringing our troops home from Iraq. We need to stop spending the billions every month that can instead be used to solve our problems here at home.

Focusing the Fight on Terror
I voted against going to war in Iraq because I wanted to finish the job against the terrorists who attacked us. These terrorists are living with impunity in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan, attacking our troops on the ground in Afghanistan, and plotting to attack us again.

Capturing Osama bin Laden
We need to capture Osama bin Laden, stabilize Afghanistan, and stop the Taliban. That should have been our priority since 9/11. By shifting the focus from Afghanistan to Iraq, we squandered opportunities to capture bin Laden and eliminate the Taliban. It is imperative that we refocus on our earlier successes in Afghanistan and eliminate this resurgent threat.

Caring for Our Returning Heroes
We owe it to the men and women of our Armed Forces to send them into battle with the best body armor, the best armored vehicles, and the best equipment. It is also our duty to treat them with the respect and honor they deserve when they come home from war. They have served with distinction, above and beyond their call of duty. That is why I have worked in Congress for better health care for our veterans, and am striving to pass a new G.I. Bill.