WASHINGTON (WHTC-AM/FM) – Reaction to recent developments in Afghanistan, and the White House reaction to those developments, from members of Michigan’s Congressional Delegation.
US House Representative Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph): “The withdrawal from Afghanistan was horribly botched from the get-go and easily predicted. Several weeks ago, I joined most of my colleagues to expedite safe passage to the United States for thousands of Afghans who aided our brave troops over the last 20 years. This debacle casts a black eye on America, and has put Americans and those who have helped us at severe risk. The still vivid memory of Saigon should have driven an orderly transition rather than the horror that we now see, the devastating nightmare that Afghans will face under Sharia law, and the potential for world terrorism that again threatens us. All we can do now is hope and pray that President Biden’s pledge to get everyone to safety will come to fruition.”
US House Representative Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), from various posts on Twitter: “It’s stunning that in a mere 5 weeks President Biden was proven horribly wrong…What is happening in Afghanistan is a disaster and shameful…This speech by President Joe Biden is disconnected from the realities on the ground of Afghanistan. ‘The buck stops with me’ is what he said after he blamed the Afghan troops, the history of the region and every previous president, including the one he served as Vice President.”
US House Representative Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) joined with Stephanie Bice (R-Oklahoma City) and other freshmen GOP Congress members in an open letter to the White House, which read in part: “While we may be new to Congress, the complete lack of leadership and direction that has come from your administration in the midst of this ongoing crisis has not been lost on us…we ask that you provide a briefing to Congress as soon as possible on your administration’s plan to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies. We would also ask that you brief our members on your plan going forward to prevent terrorists from capitalizing on the instability in Afghanistan. As members of Congress, we also need to understand how and why your administration had such a poor grasp of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan.”
US House Representative Dan Kildee (D-Flint): “The United States must continue to make every effort to ensure the safety of American citizens and service members still in Afghanistan. The Taliban must know that the world is watching its treatment of Afghan citizens, especially women and girls. The U.S. military and intelligence community must maintain a presence in the region to combat terrorism and threats to America. But after two decades of war in Afghanistan, President Biden made the difficult—but right—decision to bring our American troops home. The United States must not remain in an endless war and become involved in Afghanistan’s civil conflict. Former President Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban last year to draw down American troops and President Biden is now carrying out that mission. I believe we must have a whole-of-government approach to process, transport and relocate those who served side-by-side with American and allied forces in the fight against terrorism. In Congress, I have supported expanding Special Immigrant Visas to more quickly relocate those Afghans safely outside the country.”
US House Representative Haley Stevens (D-Rochester Hills): “Today it is important to remember and thank all of our brave servicemen and women who served in Afghanistan over the last 20 years. The service and sacrifice of these brave men and women will never be forgotten, and our nation will forever owe them and their families a debt of gratitude…The United States must continue to work on the safe and speedy evacuation of U.S. personnel and of our allies in Afghanistan, particularly given the Taliban’s recent takeover of Kabul.”
On Tuesday afternoon, US Senator Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) posted this on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts: “I’m thinking of our nation’s brave veterans and their families in Michigan & across the country who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. In reaction to developments in Afghanistan, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has made a variety of resources available.”
The other US Senator from Michigan – Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) – has apparently remained silent on the recent developments in Afghanistan, with no posted public statements on her web page or through her official social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter since the fall of Kabul. Stabenow’s social media focus on Tuesday was on a visit to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
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