Wagner, McCaul, GOP committee members urge Biden to continue Kabul evacuations

U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Michael McCaul (R-TX), and their fellow U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans earlier this week demanded that President Joe Biden commit to continuing evacuation flights out of Kabul, Afghanistan, until all American citizens and their Afghan allies are safely out of the country. 

“For months, we have consistently urged President Biden and his administration to develop and implement a plan to evacuate our Afghan partners, to secure the U.S. embassy and keep Americans in the country safe, and to manage the impending humanitarian crisis. He ignored us,” said the members in a joint statement released on Tuesday. “We are facing this shameful moment in our history because of President Biden’s failed leadership.”

The lawmakers’ request followed refusal by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to make such a commitment when asked three times to do so during an Aug. 17 White House briefing, according to the House committee members.

“It is reprehensible that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and President Joe Biden are now refusing — repeatedly — to commit to continuing the evacuation of American citizens and our Afghan partners until they are all safely out of the country,” according to the members’ joint statement. “We demand President Biden immediately and publicly commit to continuing evacuations for as long as it takes to get all Americans and Afghan allies to safety. Refusing to do so will only serve to further damage U.S. credibility as a partner moving forward.” 

Rep. McCaul is ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, while Rep. Wagner is vice ranking member of the committee. Among the Republican committee members who joined them in releasing the statement were U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Andy Barr (R-KY), Peter Meijer (R-MI), and Young Kim (R-CA).