Rep. Jones says bipartisan group looking at legislation to exit Afghanistan in 2013

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) said Thursday morning that he and others opposed to the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will meet today to discuss possible legislation that would bring these troops home in 2013.

"Congress, let's get together and work on legislation to bring our troops home before the current timeline of December of 2014," he said on the House floor.

The Obama administration plans on keeping 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and possibly reduce these forces in some way before removing all of them at the end of 2014. Jones is one of several Republicans and Democrats who have pushed for an end to U.S. military occupation in that country as soon as possible.

Jones did not say which Republicans and Democrats would be meeting to discuss a bill, but he said the timetable for withdrawal needs to be sped up because U.S. troops are still dying in Afghanistan. He said 60 were killed in 2012 so far.

"I don't know where the outrage is by the United States Congress," Jones said. "I'm very disappointed in both parties, their leadership, to allow our young men and women to stay in a war that has no end to it and makes no sense to the American people."

Jones added that he has started a petition on his House website to leave Afghanistan, and said 2,000 people have signed it after three weeks.

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