Congressman Turner released the following statement after the President announced he would leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan.

This announcement comes after the President stated he would reverse his pledge to bring back almost all service members before he left office in January 2017. 

“I have repeatedly called for an end in the reduction of troops and for the Administration to realistically address the threats our country currently faces. This year’s National Defense Authorization Act will provide the funding necessary to maintain a minimum level of 9,800 troops for this vital mission in Afghanistan, unlike the Administration whose budget request fails to provide the funding necessary to support this recent announcement. We must continue to reverse the harmful decisions being made by this Administration with respect to national security. It is time the President comes to the table in a meaningful way and work with Congress to support our warfighters. 

“This announcement comes ahead of the NATO Warsaw Summit where I will be addressing 28 heads of state to further discuss the importance of cooperation between our allies as we continue to face evolving and worsening global threats.”

In February, Congressman Turner introduced the Protecting Our Security Through Utilizing Right-Sized End-Strength (POSTURE) Act of 2016 which would ensure that our Land Forces will not be depleted as a result of the Administration’s persistent flawed assumptions about the current security environment. 

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