Tampa area Democrat Kathy Castor said today that she supports President Obama's announcement of sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan within the next year, but said she is open to supporting a surtax to pay for the 8 year war proposed by House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey.
Speaking this morning at a workshop she was hosting for small and minority owned businesses looking to compete for federal contracts, Castor explained why she supports an escalation in a war that half the country has turned against:
"My first two years in Congress I served on the Armed Services Committee and during my time there I heard time and time again from folks all across the spectrum – military leaders, folks involved in human rights – that the Bush Administration did our country a tremendous disservice by distracting America away from the national security threat in Afghanistan, taking us to a war in Iraq. The generals that came before our committee but they couldn't complete a comprehensive strategy in Afghanistan because they didn't have the resources. All the resources were focused on the war in Iraq. It is fair right now because of the national security threat that still exists in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan to take a good shot at a comprehensive strategy that will eliminate that threat. "
Cl asked Congresswoman Castor a question on many people's minds this week: What can U.S. troops working with Afghan forces accomplish in a year and a half that we've so far been unable to do in the last 8?
"Well now we'll have a comprehensive strategy and have the resources we need to address that national security threat, " she said. " But it can't go on. It's simply can't go on for years and years. This is our chance to finish the job and then begin our soldiers home."
But many of Castor's Democratic colleagues are demanding that Americans need to begin sharing the sacrifices that have so far only been felt by those who've served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families over the course of the decade. Last month, House Appropriations Committee chairman, David Obey, a Democrat from Wisconsin, introduced legislation called Share the Sacrifice Act of 2010, which calls for an explicit war surtax to pay for our continuing wars.
CL asked Congresswoman Castor if she would support the Obey legislation?
"We've got to pay for it," she replied. " I mean we've got these burgeoning deficits and to think that the entire war in Iraq went on a credit card that the Bush Adminstration did. A trillion dollar cost on the backs of our kids and our country was just shameful, so I'm going to support all efforts to pay for additional initiatives. I'm going to look hard at the Obey initiative. "
The Tampa Democrat was also asked about Florida's chances to win over $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money for high-speed rail. The Florida Legislature is meeting this month in a special session to try to secure funding for commuter rail in Central and South Florida that they believe will enhance its chances of getting high speed rail funding scheduled to be distributed early next year.
But contrary to what Governor Crist, Senator Nelson, and seemingly the entire Florida political establishment says (but not Lakeland State Senator Paula Dockery), Castor doesn't believe that the state should lose out if the SunRail and Tri-Rail plans don't occur.
"No, why would you hold Florida to a different standard than any other state in the country?", she asked rhetorically. "We already are well positioned to compete for those high speed rail funds, because no other state is ready to begin construction. I don't think it's a necessity to get high speed rail."
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2009.