mr. berman. we have a difference of opinion about the resolution but we're united in the opinion that this house should debate it and that every member of this house, whatever their opinion on the resolution, has a right to debate it, and to try to diminish this institution by saying this is not a proper subject for debate, we're about to begin a surge, this is a proper subject for debate. we waited 8 1/2 years to debate this should we wait another 8 1/2 years or should we have it now before question we commit more and more people into combat. i yield five minutes to mr. serrano of new york. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for five minutes. mr. serrano: it is time for us as a congress to have this long overdue discussion on our involvement in afghanistan. according to the war powers resolution, we have a role to play and it's time we as a congress exercise our authority. whether you agree or disagree with the escalation in afghanistan we need to debate it, we ne

mr. berman. mr. berman: thank you, madam chair. i would like to yield an additional two minutes of our time to the ranking member to be added on to herr time and subtracted from our time -- to her time and subtracted from our time and now i'd like to yield three minutes to the asia pacific and global environment subcommittee, the delegate from american samoa, mr. eni faleomavaega. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, and the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. faleomavaega: i thank the distinguished gentleman of our committee on foreign affairs to allow me to talk about the proposed legislation. despite our situation in afghanistan, i do say i have the utmost respect for the gentleman from ohio for bringing this resolution for purposes of public debate among our colleagues. i also want to say that i associate myself with the remarks made earlier by my colleague from georgia, mr. kingston, in saying why not, why not debate the issue? this should be something that we should not deprive ourselves of the idea of under

mr. berman: yes, madam chair. i'm pleased to a yield to many of our committee and -- to yield to a member of our committee, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. tanner. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for two minutes. mr. tanner: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: so ordered. mr. tanner: thank you, madam chair. thank you, mr. chairman. the fact is i am presently serving as the president of nato parliamentary assembly. the afghan effort is a nato-led effort. nato arguably, one, if not the most successful military alliances in the modern era. not only is involved with us as allies in afghanistan but we know that our military might is no longer a deterrent like it was most of our my life, most of our lives during the cold war. even though you had the war of the east versus the west, the ussr, the allies, there was this not only feeling but we were protected by our military might. 9/11 shattered that. these people who are trying to kill us don't care

mr. berman, is recognized. mr. berman: madam chair, i'm very pleased to recognize the majority floor leader, the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for one minute. mr. hoyer: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i rise in opposition to this resolution which would urge the withdrawal of american troops from afghanistan in my opinion at greath cost to america's security and indeed the afghan people. but i want to rise as well to thank my friend from ohio, mr. kucinich, with whom i work closely. this issue needs to be debated. this issue needs to be raised. the american people have a right to have us debate this issue. there young men and young women are in harm's way. they are in harm's way at our instance or at least our sufferance. so it's great to have this debate. while i disagree with the gentleman from ohio, i appreciate the fact that he provides this opportunity to discuss this very, very important issue. madam speaker, after ye

mr. berman: i yield 30 seconds. mr. sestak: i'll always remember what the former chairman of the joint cheafs -- chiefs of staff said, our men and women in the military are wise enough to know, this is your sacred duty here to have a debate about the use of their lives, when i led them into war. i would hope my lawmakers would have that debate if we were being used wisalism i thank you for bringing forward this debate, though i oppose the resolution. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. kucinich: may i ask how much time remains on each side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio has 40 minutes remaining. the gentleman from california has 23 1/2 minutes. the gentleman from florida has 20 1/2 minutes. mr. kucinich: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: who seeks recognition? the gentlelady from florida is recognized. >> thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. pence, the chairman of the house republ

mr. berman, has 36 minutes. and the gentlewoman from florida has 27 1/2 minutes. mr. kucinich: if it's -- ok, i'll yield. i'll yield mr. kennedy three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. kennedy, is recognized for -- i'm sorry, from rhode island, is recognized for three minutes. mr. kennedy: i thank the gentleman, mr. kucinich. i want to say at the outset, while i'm speaking on behalf of the same resolution the gentleman before me spoke on behalf of, i couldn't disagree more, that our interests do lie in protecting our national security by being in afghanistan . my opposition is our strategy. my opposition is that somehow we're going to control the ground by maneuvering ourselves militarily to control the ground as if it's a nation state. i hear my colleagues talk about the flag of afghanistan. as if afghanistan is a country. in case anybody has bothered to look at it, it's a loose collection of 121 different sovereign tribes, none of them get along with each other, and it's a mountainous terrain of rock and gravel and the notion th

mr. berman: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in opposition to the resolution and i yield myself four minutes. mr. chairman, i think the gentleman from -- first of all, i think i have to say that i've quite enjoyed working with the gentleman from ohio on this issue and issues we've dealt with since i became chairman. it is right for the house to have an open, honest debate on the merits of our ongoing military operations in afghanistan and outside, outside the context of a defense spending bill or a supplemental appropriations bill. this is -- this is a good thing to be doing. by vesting the war -- to declare war with the congress the united states -- it is incumbent on this body to debate as thoroughly as possible to committing u.s. forces to battlele. now, as a procedural matter, i take issue with the invocation of section 53 of the war powers resolution as the basis for this debate because that section authorizes a privileged resolution, like the one before us today, to require the withdrawal of combat forces when congr

mr. berman, thank you for agreeing to let this be debated. i want to start by saying that peggy noon has called for this debate, a necessary war. i want to read this. so far most invade over afghanistan has taken place among journalists and foreign policy professionals. all of them have been honest in their opinions about the war in afghanistan. but when you really look at the facts, nobody elected these people to debate the war. washington has to get serious and the american people have a right to know the facts and options. so thank you both for allowing this debate to take place today. but i join my friends in saying that it's time to bring an end to this war. i have camp lejeune marine base in my district, cherry point, brave men and women, god bless them all. i want to start my comments and would like to share this with you. marine times, march 1, 2010. left to die. they call for help. army leadership refuse and abandon them on the battlefield. four died. handcuffed to do their job for this country. that's awfully sad to me. then i would

mr. berman: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in opposition to the resolution and i yield myself four minutes. mr. chairman, i think the gentleman from -- first of all, i think i have to say that i've quite enjoyed working with the gentleman from ohio on this issue and issues we've dealt with since i became chairman. it is right for the house to have an open, honest debate on the merits of our ongoing military operations in afghanistan and outside, outside the context of a defense spending bill or a supplemental appropriations bill. this is -- this is a good thing to be doing. by vesting the war -- to declare war with the congress the united states -- it is incumbent on this body to debate as thoroughly as possible to committing u.s. forces to battlele. now, as a procedural matter, i take issue with the invocation of section 53 of the war powers resolution as the basis for this debate because that section authorizes a privileged resolution, like the one before us today, to require the withdrawal of combat forces when congr

mr. berman: thank you, mr. chairman. rise in opposition to the resolution and i yield myself four minutes. mr. chairman, i think the gentleman from -- first of all, i think i have to say that i've quite enjoyed working with the gentleman from ohio on this issue and issues we've dealt with since i became chairman. it is right for the house to have an open, honest debate on the merits of our ongoing military operations in afghanistan and outside, outside the context of a defense spending bill or a supplemental appropriations bill. this is -- this is a good thing to be doing. by vesting the war -- to declare war with the congress the united states -- it is incumbent on this body to debate as thoroughly as possible to committing u.s. forces to battlele. now, as a procedural matter, i take issue with the invocation of section 53 of the war powers resolution as the basis for this debate because that section authorizes a privileged resolution, like the one before us today, to require the withdrawal of combat forces when congres

mr. critic, 30 years later, we're still here. so, happy birthday to us. happy birthday to "nightline." >> our thanks to john berman. be found on an interactive "nightline" page at abcnews.com. >>> we'll be right back, but first, here's jimmy kimmel with what's coming up next on abc. >> jimmy: tonight, gerard butler, gabrielle union, and singer jamie cullum. all attractive people becau