Larson Statement on Peace Agreement Between Afghanistan and Taliban

Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after it was announced that the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban regime have reached a peace agreement:

"After nearly two decades of fighting, today's signing of the peace agreement marks a gradual step towards the end of our nation's longest war. The announcement provides hope for our troops abroad, relief for their families, and signals greater certainty for the region after so many years of being tarnished by war. I commend our brave men and women in uniform, our military, and our diplomatic leaders for their unwavering commitment that brought us to this point. I also want to thank the Trump Administration for working to broker this agreement that marks a stepping stone as the Taliban negotiates with the Afghan government to ensure lasting peace, free of Al Qaeda and ISIL.

"However, as this war finally comes to an end, Congress must take additional steps to repeal the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations of Use of Military Force (AUMFs) that been used by Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump to conduct military action outside their intended scope due to overly broad language. Congress must stop abdicating its constitutional responsibility."

Larson has been calling for the repeal of the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force that allowed for the war in Afghanistan as it is outdated and has been used outside its intended scope. Larson also voted against the Iraq War after visiting the region with the late Rep. Jack Murtha. Larson is a cosponsor of Rep. Barbara Lee's bill to repeal the 2001 AUMF (H.R. 1274). In 2019 Larson voted to repeal both the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs in in the FY2020 Defense Appropriations and again voted to repeal the 2002 AUMF in January.

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