Rep. Jackson Calls on Biden to Continue Evacuation Efforts Until All Americans, Partners Out of Afghanistan
Last night, I joined fellow House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans in calling on President Biden to commit to continuing evacuation flights out of Kabul until all American citizens and our Afghan partners are safely out of the country. Our call followed National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s refusal to make that commitment when asked three times at a White House briefing.
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, to keep Americans in the country safe, and to manage the impending humanitarian crisis. He ignored us. We are facing this shameful moment in our history because of President Biden’s failed leadership. Full stop. 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. 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.
I am a member of the Foreign Affairs (HFAC) and Armed Services (HASC) committees. I also serve on the Middle East and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee of HFAC.
The following House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans joined Lead Republican Michael McCaul (TX-10) and I in releasing this statement: August Pfluger (TX-11), Steve Chabot (OH-01), Chris Smith (NJ-04), Joe Wilson (SC-02), Scott Perry (PA-10), Darrell Issa (CA-50), Adam Kinzinger (IL-16), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Brian Mast (FL-18), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Ken Buck (CO-04), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Mark Green (TN-07), Andy Barr (KY-06), Greg Steube (FL-17), Dan Meuser (PA-09), Claudia Tenney (NY-22), Peter Meijer (MI-03), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Young Kim (CA-39), and Maria Salazar (FL-27).