Grassroots veterans group applauds overwhelming support in for resolution calling for end to America’s longest war
HELENA, Mont.—Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) on Thursday applauded lawmakers in the Montana State House for overwhelming bipartisan passage of a resolution calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan and America’s “forever wars.”
CVA’s Montana Grassroots Engagement Director, Justin Carpenter, had this to say of the measure and its passage:
“After 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan, America has grown tired of seeing its tax dollars wasted and its sons and daughters lost to a war with no clear mission or end in sight. This resolution is a firm statement on behalf of Montanans, our veterans, active duty forces, and their families and communities that there is a better way. Our troops have served valiantly in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but perpetual war and fruitless nation building is not in America’s best interests and marginalizes the service and sacrifice of those who are and have been in harm’s way for our freedom. We owe them better, and we thank Rep. Marshall for introducing this measure and commend all those who showed their support for it.”
Notably, with passage of this resolution, Montana, which has the third-highest percentage of veteran residents in any state, would be the first to pass such a measure. Recent polling shows a full two-thirds of veterans and majorities of military families and the general public support full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. Further, a vast majority of the general public (80%) believe our military engagement around the world should be reduced or stay about the same. Only 6% believe we should be more engaged.
As a partner of Americans for Prosperity, CVA issued a Key Vote Alert for this measure, meaning it may include lawmakers’ votes in its annual legislative scorecard so Montanans can readily see how their representatives voted.
The joint resolution on endless foreign intervention (H.J. 9), was introduced by Representative Ron Marshall (R-HD 87). The measure calls out the U.S. Congress for abdicating its constitutional duties in matters of war and peace, too often vesting the power to make war solely with the executive branch and calls on the president to complete a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and end other instances of perpetual war where not authorized by a current and specific authorization for the use of military force approved by Congress.
CVA recently launched the latest phase of its End Endless Wars campaign, a $1.25 million digital ad campaign combined with a robust grassroots push across the country.
In total CVA has spent over $3 million on digital, television, and direct mail advertising urging a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The campaign is aimed at educating and encouraging the American public to contact their elected representatives. In total, the campaign has generated over 700,000 emails to leaders in Washington urging them to end our “forever wars.” The End Endless Wars campaign evolved from CVA’s Rethink Foreign Policy effort, which the group launched in mid-2019.
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