Kucinich says Congress should vote down funding for surge

Congress should take a stand against any war supplemental bill to fund a surge in Afghanistan, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said Tuesday evening.

Kucinich, a liberal Democrat who's long urged a U.S. pullout of Iraq and Afghanistan, chided an expected Obama administration decision to send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan, and urged fellow lawmakers to try and block it.

"We cannot just put this only on President Obama's shoulders," Kucinich said of the responsibility for making decisions on strategy in Afghanistan.

Kucinich said Congress could take some of that responsibility by voting down a possible $50 billion war supplemental request to fund the new effort in Afghanistan.

"There's speculation that we're going to be asked for another $50 billion supplemental," he said. "It's Congress that has to take a stand here, as well, and Congress should say it's time to end the war."

The two-time Democratic presidential candidate lamented President Barack Obama's reported decision on Afghan strategy, suggesting that military leaders have gained too much control over the White House process.

"It's clearly an escalation. And when the president's talking about 'finish the job,' the president should be aware that the jobs that people are worried about in the United States are getting people back to work," Kucinich said. "It's not defensible. It's not connected to our national security. And it really raises questions about the extent of the Pentagon's influence on the administration."

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