Despite waning public support for the war in Afghanistan, the House of Representatives recently affirmed its commitment to seeing the conflict through until the planned 2014 withdrawal. Lawmakers widely rejected a measure that would have cut any funding not related to getting troops and contractors out as swiftly as possible, The Associated Press reports.
The vote comes shortly after a recent poll found that only about 27 percent of Americans support the war. While they acknowledged the importance of withdrawing troops from the embattled countries, legislators also pointed out that American forces have to leave when the job is done or risk the future security of the nation.
"If we leave too early and the Taliban and al-Qaida return, more Americans will suffer," Rep. Mac Thornberry, told the AP.
President Barack Obama has steadfastly maintained his plan to have all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. There are currently about 88,000 soldiers serving in the country, and Obama has said that the U.S. is shifting away from a combat role. He plans on discussing the withdrawal with Afghan president Hamid Karzai at the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago, AFP reports.