Lawmaker wants to pull troops from Europe

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) offered an amendment to the Republicans’ budget on Friday that would pull most U.S. troops and military infrastructure out of Europe.

Polis called U.S. bases in Germany, Austria, France, Denmark and other European nations “relics of the past” and said it was time to bring American soldiers home.

“The need for these bases was understandable in a different geopolitical context,” said Polis. “But what is the justification now? Our European allies are some of the richest countries in the world. Why are we subsidizing their defense?”

But Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) argued that the U.S. must maintain bases in Europe as a deterrent and to support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“They are providing wartime support and act as an affective deterrent for our ourselves and our allies,” said Turner.

Over the last couple of hours members of the House have continued to pile amendments onto the budget proposal. Votes on the amendments are planned for late Friday night.

One amendment would defund an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms program to check purchasers of multiple semiautomatic firearms in some Western border states.

Another amendment that was proffered by members of the Virginia delegation would delay the closure of the military’s Joint Force Command Center, which is located in Virginia.

Another amendment would suspend the Department of Defense’s “entertainment fund” until it produces audited finance reports as required by the law.