Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), one of the several Republican lawmakers who signed a letter to President Biden demanding answers on the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, said the president has done more for the Taliban and China than American families during his presidency.
“Joe Biden has done more for the Taliban and the Chinese Communist Party than he has for American families,” Blackburn observed in a Wednesday social media post, adding that Biden’s “weak leadership” has “created a crisis in Afghanistan and a crisis at the southern border”:
Blackburn, a prominent critic of Biden, particularly following his administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan where they abided by the Taliban-approved August 31 deadline, is among several GOP lawmakers who signed a letter demanding the Biden administration provide answers about the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis created, including information on the number of Americans left behind and the vetting process used for evacuees being brought into the United States.
“We write regarding the humanitarian crisis created by your withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, and the safety and well-being of our fellow countrymen and allies who you left behind,” the September 2 letter addressed to Biden read.
“The signatories of this letter may have differing opinions about whether the United States should have maintained a military presence in Afghanistan, but we all agree that the arbitrary and poorly-planned method by which you withdrew from Afghanistan caused this crisis,” they wrote, identifying their “immediate priority” as the safety of American citizens, permanent residents, and allies left behind by Biden’s administration in Afghanistan.
“We are also concerned by reports that ineligible individuals, including Afghans with ties to terrorist organizations or serious, violent criminals, were evacuated alongside innocent refugee families,” they continued, requesting answers to a series of questions no later than Tuesday, September 7, at 5 p.m.
President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks about the bombings at the Kabul airport that killed at least 12 U.S. service members, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The senators posed four main questions, although each has a series of follow-up questions. The main questions include:
- How many American citizens does the administration believe to remain in Afghanistan?
- How many green-card holders does the administration believe to remain in Afghanistan?
- How many Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants remain in Afghanistan?
- According to your administration, more than 50% of evacuated Afghans were not SIV applicants or their families, including vulnerable Afghans such as women and girls at high risk for Taliban reprisals. Of the more than 57,000 Afghans who are not American citizens, green-card holders, or SIV applicants or their families, how many had no pending immigration application or status with the United States prior to being airlifted?
The lawmakers requested unclassified answers that can be made available to the public, as Americans “need to see that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever.”
“If your answers implicate classified material, you may also submit a classified appendix to your answers and coordinate with us to provide a classified briefing,” they added.
Signers include Republican Sens. Blackburn, Tom Cotton (AR), Ted Cruz (TX), John Boozman (AR), Mike Braun (IN), Susan Collins (ME), Kevin Cramer (ND), Steve Daines (MT), Joni Ernst (IA), Deb Fischer (NE), Lindsey Graham (SC), Chuck Grassley (IA), Josh Hawley (MO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS), Ron Johnson (WI), John Kennedy (LA), Mike Lee (UT), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Roger Marshall (KS), Jerry Moran (KS), Ben Sasse (NE), John Thun (SD), Pat Toomey (PA), Tommy Tuberville (AL), and Roger Wicker (MS).