The House is scheduled to vote on Wednesday to formally condemn President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other officials for their handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The resolution, introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, criticizes the administration for what it describes as a “chaotic, precipitous” exit. It highlights the “willful refusal to properly plan for a noncombatant evacuation operation” and the decision to rely on the Taliban to manage checkpoints around Kabul airport, which contributed to the deadly Abbey Gate attack during the withdrawal.
In addition to the condemnation vote, the Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a measure to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal. Blinken was attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York when the hearing took place but expressed his willingness to testify and disappointment over the contempt resolution.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and Republican allies have placed significant blame on Harris for the withdrawal, with Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, criticizing her handling of the situation. Notably, family members of the service members who died in the Abbey Gate attack chose not to invite Biden or Harris to a recent commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery.
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