,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bjfj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #c1 #bjai,mr4 
,banks 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,cheney1 ,ms4 
,stefanik1 and ,mr4 ,waltz7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services1  
and in addition to the ,committee on    
,foreign ,affairs1 for a period to be   
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide oversight over   
talks between the ,united ,states and   
the ,taliban1 limit the use of funds to 
reduce the total number of members of   
the ,armed ,forces serving on active    
duty who are deployed to ,afghanistan   
until certain conditions on the ground  
are fulfilled1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,ensuring a ,secure ,afghanistan
 ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3  7#a7 ,a premature       

withdrawal of ,united ,states ,armed    
,forces from ,afghanistan would result  
in increased instability1 violence1 and 
the loss of human rights established    
through the presence of the ,united     
,states and its allies over the past #ag
 years4  7#b7 ,it is the objective of   
the ,united ,states ,government to      
ensure a secure and stable ,afghanistan 
that has the ability to secure its      
borders1 maintain its own military      
forces1 and prevent the establishment of
 terrorist safe havens that could be    
used to launch attacks against the      
,united ,states4  7#c7 ,a hasty         
withdrawal without ensuring the         
stability of the ,government of         
,afghanistan and its ability to perform 
the functions as outlined will impact   
the security of the ,united ,states and 
its allies4 ,additionally1 a hasty      
withdrawal will jeopardize the          
tremendous gains made in development and
 human rights for the citizens of       
,afghanistan4  7#d7 ,the current talks  

with the ,taliban led by ,special       
,representative ,zalmay ,khalilzad have 
excluded the legitimate ,afghan         
government1 despite the apparent        
completion of two draft agreements      
between the ,united ,states and the     
,taliban4 ,other vital constituencies   
have been excluded as well4  7#e7 ,the  
foreign terrorist organization al       
,qaeda1 responsible for the attacks of  
,september #aa1 #bjja1 continues to     
operate in ,afghanistan4  7#f7 ,the     
,taliban1 which contests or controls    
approximately half of ,afghanistan1 has 
a strong and intricate relationship with
 al ,qaeda1 and al ,qaeda still sees    
,afghanistan as a safe haven for its    
leadership4  7#g7 ,the ,taliban has not 
publicly disavowed al ,qaeda1 ,osama bin
 ,laden1 or al ,qaeda's current leader1 
,ayman al ,zawahiri4 ,the ,taliban has  
also never apologized for harboring al  
,qaeda1 the #i_/aa hijackers1 and others
 responsible for murdering thousands of 
,american citizens4  7#h7 ,the          

withdrawal of ,united ,states ,armed    
,forces from ,afghanistan1 a            
long-standing ,taliban demand1 is a key 
component of the ongoing talks between  
the ,united ,states and the ,taliban4   
7#i7 ,the ,islamic ,state of ,iraq and  
,syria1 also known as ,,isis1 grew      
rapidly after the ,united ,states       
withdrawal of forces from ,iraq in      
#bjaa4 ,today1 ,,isis still controls    
thousands of militants1 including in    
,afghanistan4  7#aj7 ,according to the  
administration's ,south ,asia strategy1 
announced by the ,president in ,august  
#bjag1 ,conditions on the ground--not   
arbitrary timetables--will guide our    
strategy from now on44  #c4 ,briefing on
 ,united ,states-,taliban or ,afghan    
talks and any effects on the total      
number of members of the ,armed ,forces 
serving on active duty who are deployed 
to ,afghanistan  7a7 ,briefing required 
,the ,secretary of ,state or the        
,special ,representative for            
,afghanistan ,reconciliation shall1 in  

coordination with the ,secretary of     
,defense1 brief the appropriate         
congressional committees regarding talks
 with the ,afghan government or the     
,taliban if any such talks are ongoing1 
as well as the effects these talks are  
having or will have on the posture of   
,united ,states ,armed ,forces in       
,afghanistan4 ,the briefing may be      
provided in unclassified or classified  
form4  7b7 ,monthly update ,a briefing  
described in paragraph 7#a7 shall       
occur-- 7#a7 not later than #cj days    
after any initial diplomatic engagement 
with the ,taliban or the ,afghan        
,government2  7#b7 not later than #cj   
days after the enactment of this ,act1  
if such engagement is ongoing on such   
date of enactment2 and  7#c7 every #cj  
days thereafter until the close of      
talks4  7c7 ,appropriate congressional  
committees defined ,in this section1 the
 term appropriate congressional         
committees means--  7#a7 the ,committee 
on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on 

,armed ,services1 and the ,permanent    
,select ,committee on ,intelligence of  
the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign         
,relations1 the ,committee on ,armed    
,services1 and the ,select ,committee on
 ,intelligence of the ,senate4  #d4     
,limitation on use of funds to reduce   
the total number of members of the      
,armed ,forces serving on active duty   
who are deployed to ,afghanistan  7a7   
,in general ,none of the funds made     
available to the ,department of ,defense
 for fiscal year #bjai may be used to   
reduce the total number of members of   
the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces      
serving on active duty who are deployed 
to ,afghanistan below #aj1jjj unless1   
not later than #ahj days prior to such  
reduction1 the ,director of ,national   
,intelligence certifies to the          
appropriate congressional committees    
that the ,taliban--  7#a7 including     
chief and deputy ,taliban leaders who   
may not have been present at the talks  

between the ,united ,states and the     
,taliban1 has rejected al ,qaeda by     
name2  7#b7 has committed not to-- 7,a7 
fight alongside al ,qaeda2  7,b7 have   
financial ties with al ,qaeda2  7,c7    
communicate with al ,qaeda2 and  7,d7   
have any other affiliation with al      
,qaeda2  7#c7 supports the legitimacy of
 the ,afghan ,constitution2  7#d7       
commits to protecting the rights of     
women and girls to access public        
healthcare1 hold property1 access       
education1 and have freedom of movement2
  7#e7 commits to stop receiving funds  
and military support from non-,afghan   
governments or organizations2  7#f7 will
 assist and be an active participant    
with the ,government of the ,united     
,states and the ,government of          
,afghanistan in future counterterrorism 
operations2  7#g7 commits to ensuring   
that its full membership is subject to  
the assurances described in this        
paragraph2 and  7#h7 commits to turn    
over to the ,government of ,afghanistan 

any members of the ,taliban that violate
 any of the assurances described in this
 paragraph4  7b7 ,appropriate           
congressional committees defined ,in    
this section1 the term appropriate      
congressional committees means-- 7#a7   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the
 ,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the
 ,permanent ,select ,committee on       
,intelligence of the ,house of          
,representatives2 and  7#b7 the         
,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the  
,committee on ,armed ,services1 and the 
,select ,committee on ,intelligence of  
the ,senate4