Welcome to, Wednesday, September 29th, soups and chowders...

Top military leaders continue to testify before Congress about the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Today, House lawmakers are grilling Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the civilian leader of the military; General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General Frank McKenzie, the commanding officer of Central Command which was in charge of operations in Afghanistan. 

In yesterday's Senate hearing, the military officials defended the planning that preceded the chaotic evacuation from Kabul but acknowledged that they did not expect the swift collapse of the Afghan government.

McKenzie testified that he recommended to both the Biden and Trump administrations that the U.S. keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan.

“I recommended we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. I also recommended earlier in the fall of 2020 we maintain 4,500 at that time. Those are my personal views. I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and, eventually, the government.”

How do you feel about the Taliban’s takeover following the Afghanistan withdrawal?

Senate Republicans Block Democrats' Debt Limit Hike

Senate Republicans on Monday voted to block Democrats’ bill to avoid a government shutdown later this week, provide disaster relief, and suspend the debt limit through mid-December 2022, arguing that the Democratic majorities in Congress can and should raise the debt limit unilaterally given their spending plans. 

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) asked unanimous consent to revise the bill to a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) that would include funding for disaster relief and Israel’s Iron Dome, but that request was objected to by a Democratic senator. He added that GOP senators will support a clean CR when one is brought to the floor by Democrats. 

Should Democrats bring up a standalone debt limit hike they can pass without GOP support?

Only 1 Day Left: Donate Now To Win a Dream Vacation to Hawaii

That's right—by donating to the Clean Oceans Campaign, you'll be entered to win a trip for two to Hawaii!

You & A Guest Of Your Choosing Will:

• Be flown out to Hawaii for a 7-day vacation at the Westin Ka'anapali Resort & Spa in Maui. (2 flight tickets included)
• Discover the rich culture of Hawaii, set out on an adventure, or hit up the beach mere steps from the stunning Pacific Ocean
• Help Fund Ocean Voyages Institute in their goal to remove 1 million pounds of plastic from our oceans!

All the Memes Fit to Post

And, In The End...

To quote Corky St. Clair: "We may be going to Broad-way!"

Broadway stages are lit again after going dark for the pandemic and I, for one, can't wait to overpay for terrible seats,

—Josh Herman

Talk to us via email at editorial [at] causes.com. And don’t forget to keep in touch @Causes.