McChrystal Testifies Before Congress, Supports President’s Afghanistan Strategy

General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that he supports the Afghan military strategy outlined by President Barack Obama last week.

The strategy, which includes sending 30,000 additional U.S. troops and a withdrawal date set for July 2011, was described by McChrystal as “achievable” and “a realistic and effective approach.”

“We will have a significantly increased force on the ground that is going to allow us to turn the momentum ... over about the next eighteen months,” said McChrystal.

The 30,000 troop number falls short of the 40,000 McChrystal initially recommended.

McChrystal denied having any role in establishing the withdrawal timetable and candidly acknowledged the risks that could come with it.

“I do want to say up front, there are people who will grab onto that, I think inappropriately, and they will try to use it in information operations and describe it as something that it is not in terms of lack of commitment on the part of U.S. and the coalition,” said McChrystal. “But I think we can deal with that.”

Added the four-star general, “I don’t view July 2011 as a deadline, I view that as a point that at which time the president has directed we will begin to reduce combat forces, but we will decide the pace and scope of that based upon conditions of that time.”

McChrystal’s testimony comes after months of anticipation from both Republicans and Democrats. In September, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) expressed his desire to hear from McChrystal and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has made numerous requests for a Capitol Hill appearance from the General over the past several months.

Hoyer: We’re Not Talking About Dropping The Public Option

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) stated Tuesday that House Democrats have no intention of striking the public option from the final draft of the health care reform legislation.

“We’re not talking about dropping the public option,” Hoyer said during a pen and pad session with reporters. “One way you bring down costs substantially is to have a public option that provides competition.”

Hoyer’s statement comes after a noticeable divide has opened up between the Majority Leader and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over how committed Congress should be to a public option, with the latter taking a much more aggressive stance in favor of the provision.

The Majority Leader announced that he will be speaking with congressional Republicans in an attempt to find common ground on health care reform, noting that a few Republicans have stated they are behind 80 percent of the proposed health care bills.

“I want to find out what that 80 percent is. If we have 80 percent, then we ought to work very strongly on the remaining 20 percent. It will be my intention to invite them to do so.”

Hoyer also touched upon Medicare’s sustainable growth rate, a formula that determines the level at which medicare physicians are paid. While there was initially going to be a 21 percent decrease in payments made to physicians, the Senate Finance Committee provided a one-year fix that would instead offer a .5 percent increase in payment. While the Majority Leader backs the committee’s fix, he also expressed his desire to see a more permanent solution.

Hoyer said that he would back Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, in passing regulatory reform. The Majority leader added that existing regulatory measures should be bolstered in addition to creating new oversight methods.

The Majority Leader also responded to calls from congressional Republicans to have General Stanley McChrystal, who commands U.S. forces in Afghanistan, testify before Congress. The Majority Leader said his testimony would be “useful.”