Ten Democrats join Republicans in rebuking Biden officials over Afghanistan withdrawal

The measure, which passed in a 219 to 194 vote, was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, and accused the Biden administration of prioritizing "optics over security."

By Misty Severi

Published: September 25, 2024 6:04pm

Ten House Democrats voted with Republicans on Wednesday to rebuke senior Biden administration officials over the highly criticized withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

The measure, which passed in a 219 to 194 vote, was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, and accused the Biden administration of prioritizing "optics" and politics over "security."

The bill listed 15 current and former Biden administration officials including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"At every step, the administration prioritized the optics and politics of the withdrawal over the security of U.S. personnel and diplomats on the ground," McCaul said on the House floor. "Rather than admit their failure, this administration continues to this day to celebrate their deadly evacuation. Never once have they said, ‘I am sorry,’ to the Gold Star families."

The 10 Democrats who joined the Republicans in approving the bill include Reps. Jared Golden of Maine; Mary Peltola of Alaska; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington; Vicente Gonzalez of Texas; Greg Landsman of Ohio; and Jeff Jackson of North Carolina, according to Fox News.

House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Gregory Meeks led the opposition of the bill and accused Republicans of playing politics with the withdrawal.

"This resolution, as I've said all along, is nothing more than political theater designed to score cheap points rather than address the real issues at hand," Meeks said on the House floor. "It's a distortion of the facts and a disservice to the American people, a disservice to our servicemembers, a disservice to our diplomats – all of who put their lives on the line during our 20-year war efforts.

"Their sacrifices should not be used as a political football," he continued. "We should be working on real solutions, supporting our Afghan allies, ensuring that we learn the right lessons, and providing accountability that are based on truth, not partisan narratives."

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.