By Farah Stockman
WASHINGTON – Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts, who has launched the only effort in the US House to oppose President Obama’s plans for the Afghan war, received an unexpected boost of support yesterday from a group of Afghan and Iraqi war veterans, who raced around Capitol Hill lobbying for his bill
Congress is expected today to approve swiftly the $94.2 billion war-funding bill, which would support the 21,000 additional combat troops and military trainers Obama plans to deploy. But McGovern’s bill, which the Democrat will file today, would require the Pentagon to come up with an exit strategy by the end of the year.
The veterans, who are part of a small but growing group of Americans who oppose the Afghan war, traveled to Washington this week, shadowed by the Brave New Foundation, a nonprofit film company based in California that produces social justice documentaries and has launched a campaign called Rethink Afghanistan.
Realizing that it could not stop the supplemental measure, the group focused instead on getting more support for McGovern’s bill.
"Without an exit strategy, then the mission is doomed to fail," said Jake Diliberto, who fought in Afghanistan in 2001 as a Marine.
Rick Reyes, a former Marine corporal who also served in Afghanistan shortly after the US invasion, said he never thought he would lobby Congress. But by midafternoon, he had met with representatives from 20 offices. The group planned to meet with 100 more.
"So far the response has been positive, but you never know how they will vote," said Reyes, who believes the operations in Afghanistan have made the United States less safe.
Still, many members of Congress are reluctant to question a war that is directly linked to an attack on the United States, not to mention a popular president.
Representative Raul M. Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who chairs the Progressive Congressional Caucus and shares skepticism about the troop increase, told the veterans their message is still a difficult sell.
"I think there is a sense that there is no other option," he said.
Sixty members of Congress have signed on as cosponsors of McGovern’s bill
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