Portman attends joint session of Congress with Afghan President Ghani
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) attended a joint session of Congress with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. Portman was joined by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Bundy of Columbus, Ohio, who attended as his guest. Portman first met Bundy during a visit to Afghanistan in 2012.
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“A long-term partnership with Afghanistan is critical to U.S. national security interests as well as the stability of the entire region, and I appreciated the opportunity to hear from President Ghani today,” Portman said. “I was pleased that President Ghani expressed his appreciation for the sacrifices America has made in Afghanistan and look forward to working with my Senate colleagues and the Administration to strengthen the partnership between our two countries.
“President Obama’s announcement yesterday that U.S. force levels in Afghanistan will be maintained through 2015, as opposed to his original proposal to withdraw nearly half of them, is an essential element of this partnership that will enable U.S. forces to better support their Afghan allies.
“I was especially pleased to have Lieutenant Colonel Bundy as my guest today. He’s had a distinguished career as an officer in the Army and is a model of the many citizen soldiers we have in Ohio. We are all thankful for his service, and I was grateful to have him join me today.”