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This week marked three years since the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. The American withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021 was a complete disaster brought on by systemic failures across multiple agencies. Lives were lost, and our posture on the world stage was forever changed. Three years later, not one person has been held accountable for the disaster--not Gen. Milley, Gen. McKenzie, Gen. Donahue, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan John Pommersheim, or anyone at the State Department.

When the team I was privileged to work alongside got the first Americans out of Afghanistan (through Tajikistan) after the fall of Kabul, U.S. Ambassador Pommersheim told me he was directed by Washington ‘not to assist me or our team in any way’.

To this day, no one has testified before Congress as to who gave this directive. No one has been held accountable for the 13 brave American heroes who died at Abbey Gate, or the countless Americans who lost their lives trying to escape Kabul. This is despite the Biden-Harris administration insisting anyone wishing to leave could get out, even though my team and I knew at the time that wasn’t true.

While our team got over 500 AmCits out of Afghanistan despite the State Department, we owe it to the Americans the Biden-Harris admin left behind and those who needlessly lost their lives to provide accountability, so a disaster of this magnitude never happens again.

On Wednesday, we began the day in Cheyenne where we had our first Community Conversation event. I was joined by Cheyenne City Manager Nehemiah Yager, local community leaders, and residents. We discussed Washington’s terrible spending habits, the need for fiscal responsibility among elected officials, burdensome taxes, opposition to Green New Deal policies, and the fight for a fair Farm Bill.

Next stop: Elk City! Thank you to City Manager Tom Ivester and Elk City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susie Cupp for your hospitality. Here, we discussed ongoing appropriations negotiations and residents asked questions pertaining to upcoming legislation, government overreach, and why I ran for office.

We hosted a Community Conversation in Mangum next. I had the chance to talk with business leaders, Sovereign Bank CEO Brian Crane, and Jed Winters, Owner of Wintree Homes, LLC & Mangum Brick Company, to give updates of my work in DC. We then discussed how federal overregulation of his businesses sparked my involvement in politics and continues to motivate my efforts to get the government off the backs of Oklahomans. The event ended with questions from the audience about the Senate Armed Services Committee and stopping corruption at the federal level.

We ended the day in Hollis with a crash course on the legislative process. I had the chance to meet with City Manager Mark Whisenant, Harmon County Forward Executive Director Adam Bromlow, city business leaders, and constituents to unpack how efforts in the U.S. Senate translate to wins for Oklahoma. I also heard audience’s concerns regarding the border, crop insurance, and the Biden-Harris administration’s overreach. 

I want to thank all the Oklahomans for their hospitality and attendance. We covered more ground in Northwest as well so stay tuned for updates from those Community Conversation events.

This week, I joined Fox Business to reflect on the Afghanistan withdrawal in further detail, including the disgrace surrounding the Biden-Harris administration's lack of accountability. Watch the interview here. 

Team Mullin was glad to attend the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association’s annual meeting in Enid recently. This meeting brought together members from all over the state, providing wheat producers and those interested in the wheat industry with legislative support and guidance, education, and relationships with regulatory agencies and universities. Special shoutout to President Dennis Schoenhals for his leadership.

Thanks for reading my weekly e-newsletter! It’s an honor to represent the great state of Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate. You can stay in touch by following me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Gettr, Truth Social, and YouTube. As always, don’t hesitate to contact my office if we can help in any way.

God Bless!

Markwayne Mullin

U.S. Senator for Oklahoma

mullin.senate.gov

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