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• Bernie voted for the war as an act of unity after 9/11. There was only one "no" vote and it came from Babara Lee, who was harassed and called unpatriotic for years because of that vote. Before his vote, Bernie said “I will vote for this resolution because I believe that the use of force is one tool that we have at our disposal to fight against the horror of terrorism and mass murder. One tool, but it is NOT our only tool, and it is something that must be used wisely… and with great discretion.“

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• Under the War Powers Act, President Bush already had the legal right to use force without the approval of Congress because America had been attacked. The debate in Congress about whether or not to use military force in Afghanistan was more symbolic than legally necessary. 

 

• In 2008, Bernie grew concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, and voted against the Defense Authorization Bill, which authorized $603 billion in military spending, including $69 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the time, Bernie called it an “unwinnable war”

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• In 2009, Bernie strongly opposed a proposed 40,000 troop surge in Afghanistan, saying it would be “a very, very, very bad idea”.

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