Please see a selection of the following House Republicans' responses to President Obama's speech last night on the troop increase in Afghanistan. These are excerpts of their published comments:

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO): "After much delay, it is good to see that the president and the administration have finally decided to give our troops critical resources that they need to move forward with our mission in Afghanistan. I look forward to working with my colleagues and military commanders to ensure that our troops have the resources they need to complete their mission and return home safely. We must never waver in our support for our men and women in uniform as they stand on the front lines of freedom and fearlessly fight to protect our nation and families.”

Rep. Judy Biggert (IL): “In the end, the President made the right call to reaffirm our commitment to defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The terrorist forces of al Qaeda and their militant allies in the Taliban cannot be allowed to reclaim Afghanistan as a safe base from which to plot, prepare, and launch terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and our allies overseas. 
 
“From my visits there and my work with Afghan women, I know well the importance showing the Afghan people that we are resolute in our commitment to eradicate terrorist threats and provide the security for they need to quickly establish a stable civil society and field fully-trained Afghan security forces as American troops return home. At the same time, it is they who are responsible for the future of their country – not us."

Rep. Dave Reichert (WA): “Concerning our military commitments, I have always said our President needs to listen to the generals he has entrusted to assess what is required to fight and to win,” Reichert said. "With reserved optimism, I am pleased the President has heeded the advice or our military leaders to send additional troops needed to accomplish our mission. This is a complex issue and I believe it is in America’s vital security interest to win."

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL): “I commend President Obama for recognizing the seriousness of the situation in Afghanistan and heeding General McChrystal's call for additional troops. Providing our military with additional troops and resources is critical to our long-term national security and will help achieve the goal of denying the Taliban and Al-Qaeda a staging ground for future attacks. My hope is that the extra forces will be utilized in a manner consistent with the strategy outlined by General McChrystal earlier this year. In addition, it is imperative that the Afghan people have confidence in both their new government and American resolve to stabilize the region."