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Three years ago today, the last U.S. military flight left Afghanistan following President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. During this evacuation, the Biden-Harris administration stranded at least 1,000 Americans, abandoned our Afghan allies, and left behind $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment. After 20 years of American blood, sweat, and tears poured into the country, Afghanistan has once again become a terrorist safe haven where women are forced to live in the shadows under Taliban rule. Our Gold Star families and the American public deserve to have answers about what happened during the Biden-Harris administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
For the last three years, my committee has been conducting a thorough investigation into the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to unconditionally withdraw from Afghanistan and their failure to prepare for a Taliban takeover of the country, which led to the emergency evacuation in August 2021 and the death of 13 U.S. servicemembers in a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate.
In the last few weeks alone, we have conducted a transcribed interview with former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who consistently misled the public about the situation in Afghanistan. Ms. Psaki testified that she made no effort to challenge or question inaccurate information and rarely consulted with her counterparts at the State Department or the Department of Defense. Rather than sharing facts about the realities on the ground, she shared misinformation from White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and the National Security Counsel. That’s why, just last week, I demanded Jake Sullivan appear before my committee to answer questions. If he fails to respond, I am prepared to subpoena him.
I also made it clear to Secretary Blinken that he must appear before my committee to testify on the failings of the State Department. If he hasn’t agreed to testify by Tuesday, September 3rd, he will be served a subpoena to appear.
This week marked the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate attack. Three long years later and still, their parents still don’t have answers. That all changes when I release my report. It will serve as an indictment of the administration’s reckless refusal to prepare for the withdrawal, their cold indifference to the safety and security of U.S. personnel on the ground, and their culpability in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers.
Read more about my investigation here.
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