Sen. Cotton and GOP Senators Demand Answers from Biden About Failed Afghanistan Withdrawal
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton and 25 senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday to demand answers regarding Americans and American allies left behind in Afghanistan after Aug. 31.
“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,” the senators wrote in a news release.
“We request thorough, unclassified answers to these questions that can be made available to the general public. Americans need to see that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever.”
President Biden must prove to Americans that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever.https://t.co/sv4VvZsTdf
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 2, 2021
“President Biden must prove to Americans that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever,” Cotton tweeted on Thursday.
“You say that more than 123,000 individuals have been evacuated from Afghanistan in recent weeks (nearly half of whom were evacuated by groups or countries other than the United States), but only an estimated 5,500 ‘self-identified’ American citizens (4.5% of the total evacuees) were evacuated or left on their own,” the letter stated.
“Further, while it does not appear that you have released exact numbers of our Afghan partners who were evacuated, your administration has publicly confirmed that fewer than 50% of evacuated Afghans were Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants or their families.”
The letter specifically requested details regarding the number of Americans, green card holders and Special Immigrant Visa applicants who remain in Afghanistan.
Another area addressed the status of other Afghans evacuated from the country.
“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 letter asked.
“We request thorough, unclassified answers to these questions that can be made available to the general public. Americans need to see that the United States will not abandon them to terrorists abroad forever.”
Cotton has addressed the issue of Afghanistan frequently in recent days. During a Wednesday interview on “Fox & Friends,” he noted, “President Biden has left stranded Americans at the mercy of the Taliban.”
President Biden has left stranded Americans at the mercy of the Taliban. pic.twitter.com/ZyvQqrPOjG
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 1, 2021
“Joe Biden promised the Taliban that the United States would leave by August 31. He also promised American citizens he would stay until he got them out,” Cotton said during a Tuesday Fox News interview.
Joe Biden promised the Taliban that the United States would leave by August 31. He also promised American citizens he would stay until he got them out.
In the end, Joe Biden kept his promise to the Taliban and broke his promise to Americans. pic.twitter.com/u628fL5AfI
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) August 31, 2021
“In the end, Joe Biden kept his promise to the Taliban and broke his promise to Americans,” the senator added.
The full list of the senators who signed the letter in addition to Cotton included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, John Boozman of Arkansas, Mike Braun of Indiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, John Thune of North Dakota, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.
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