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Gallagher & HASC Republicans Press Biden For A Plan on Afghanistan

August 17, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today joined Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and other House Armed Services Committee Republicans in pressing the Biden administration for a plan on Afghanistan. The letter comes after President Biden granted a waiver to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last month that allowed DoD to begin U.S. troop withdrawals without providing a legally mandated risk assessment to Congress.

In the letter, the members wrote, "For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one and based on the horrific events currently unfolding in Afghanistan, we are confident that we never received your plan because you never had one."

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Mr. President:

For months, we have been asking you for a plan on your withdrawal from Afghanistan. You failed to provide us with one and based on the horrific events currently unfolding in Afghanistan, we are confident that we never received your plan because you never had one. The security and humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided if you had done any planning. Pretending this isn't your problem will only make things worse.

We remain gravely concerned the void left in Afghanistan will be rapidly filled by terror groups. The Taliban now control the country. Al Qaeda used Afghanistan to plot and execute the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism. You cannot let this happen again. As such, we request that you immediately provide Congress with your plan to prevent terror groups from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to recruit and train the next generation of terrorists. We demand to know how and from where our ISR, counterterrorism, and conventional forces will be used to disrupt the formation for terrorist operations.

Mr. President, this crisis is happening on your watch. We are simply asking: what is your plan for Afghanistan?