It’s been over one month since President Joe Biden fully withdrew our troops from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, 2021.
More than five weeks later, my office is still working with American citizens, residents and allies who have been left behind in the country now fully controlled by the Taliban.
President Biden’s withdrawal was completely botched, culminating in the tragic loss of 13 of our brave servicemembers, including SSG Ryan Knauss from Fort Bragg. Just last week, we learned the suicide bomber behind that deadly attack was a former prisoner released after the president made the premature decision to abandon Bagram Airfield. This makes the tragedy worse because our president created the conditions for it to happen.
The fact we have abandoned fellow citizens and allies who remain on the ground in Afghanistan is unfathomable and un-American.
The mainstream media and even our president have moved on. The president is focused on pushing trillions in new spending, weaponizing the IRS to monitor your bank account and instructing the Justice Department to target parents concerned about what their children are learning in school.
I am extremely concerned about each of these issues. Yet I will also not stop my focus on Afghanistan until our neighbors and allies are brought to safety and this administration is held accountable.
Recently, our nation’s top military leaders testified before Congress. Their testimony exposed President Biden, who told ABC News in August that none of his top military advisors advised against a full withdrawal. Under oath before Congress, the president’s military advisors testified that they had in fact done just that and recommended a few forces remain in Afghanistan for the time being. Presidents can overrule their military advisors — that is the job of the commander in chief. However, President Biden should have never misled the American people about the advice he rejected.
The president is focused on pushing trillions in new spending, weaponizing the IRS to monitor your bank account and instructing the Justice Department to target parents concerned about what their children are learning in school.
In the same ABC interview, President Biden also said he would not leave any American behind. Clearly, this was a false statement too.
Just last week, the State Department continued its claim there are still “around 100” American citizens and permanent residents stranded in Afghanistan. This is a dreadful admission — even one American left behind would be too many. However, the Biden administration continues to mislead the American people. My office alone still has nearly 60 citizens and residents we are working to rescue, in addition to 1,600 inquiries pending with the State Department for Afghan visa holders who need evacuation.
That’s why last week, I led an effort joined by nearly every member of our state’s congressional delegation demanding Secretary of State Antony Blinken provide an update on and strategy for the Americans and SIV applicants left behind. The State Department must do more to help these people, and I will not stop demanding action.
Also last week, I introduced a bipartisan health care bill to ensure our nation is prepared for the next pandemic.
The HEALTH Act streamlines our public health response structure through the Department of Health and Human Services so that agencies like the CDC and FDA cannot go rogue and make unilateral decisions that affect you and your family without going through the proper channels. Instead, this bill clarifies the chain of command in the case of national medical emergencies or natural disasters so that no time is wasted figuring out who is in charge.
From the botched withdrawal in Afghanistan to Washington Democrats’ dangerous agenda here at home, there are many issues I am concerned about on behalf of you and your family. Yet I am also always focused on finding areas with bipartisan support to achieve real results. I will continue to work on solutions that protect you and your family, at home and abroad.
