Hopes of Midlands lawmakers

“Our troops are in harm’s way and above all else they need a commander in chief who is personally committed to supporting them and willing to commit the resources needed to do the job that I know they can do in Afghanistan. We have to be behind them 100 percent, and I hope to hear the president make that commitment to our troops in his speech.”

— Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb.

“I’m glad that he’s putting more troops there, but I’m anxious to hear the totality of the plan. … I’ve kind of had the gut feeling that Afghanistan’s been kind of run by the seat of the pants for the last several years.”

— Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb.

“I’m concerned that he will be more sensitive to speaking to his anti-war, pacifist base than he will be about speaking to the rest of the world about American resolve and commitment. … I do not believe that announcing an exit strategy can contribute to anything except defeat.”

— Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa

“It is critical that President Obama articulates a clear strategy for our future involvement in Afghanistan, particularly his plan to increase training of the Afghanistan security forces so that they can take charge of promoting peace and stability in their own country. This is a critical component to ensuring an exit strategy for our troops in as short a time as possible.”

— Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa

“I wish we’d hear that he’s cognizant of the deficit and that he’s going to change his policy of having 12.5 percent increases in budgeting this year, at a time when we’re trying to fight a war. … I wish that we would get in a warlike mentality and cut spending so that we could get this war over quickly.”

— Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

“Before further commitment, the American people deserve a full understanding of the mission, its implications and long-term goals. The president should also demand commitment from other international powers, who are often content to benefit from American acts of sacrifice. This is not America’s challenge alone.”

— Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb.

“President Obama needs to present a meaningful way forward to prevent Afghanistan from slipping back into the hands of the Taliban. … I’ve long encouraged the president to listen to the advice and counsel of our commanders on the ground …”

— Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., was unavailable for comment.

Compiled by World-Herald staff writer Joseph Morton

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