WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Saturday, the United States signed a deal initiating the end of U.S. hostilities in Afghanistan.

The deal marks the beginning of the end of the longest war in American history. Over nearly two decades in Afghanistan, the United States lost more than 3,500 American lives and spent over $2 trillion.

Congressman Warren Davidson (R-OH) made the following remarks after the deal was announced:

“As a former Army Ranger, I am encouraged by the news that we will begin withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan. It is long past time to bring our troops home. When we reentered the Middle East after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, our mission was to tell the world that we would not tolerate acts of terror against Americans on our sovereign soil. We completed that mission.

"There is no need for the U.S. to negotiate out of Afghanistan—we didn’t ask permission to enter. However, I dare to hope that the agreement we signed signals a new relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan."