WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden requesting guidance on how "Members of Congress and our offices can, and should, respond to the thousands of requests we are receiving from Americans, constituents, and Afghan allies still stuck under Taliban control in Kabul and throughout Afghanistan."
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, fell to Taliban control on August 15, 2021, following Biden's disastrous withdrawal of troops out of the country. Since then, Members of Congress and their staff have worked around the clock to help stranded Americans, constituents, and Afghan allies evacuate safely with little to no guidance from the Pentagon or Biden Administration.
The letter reads, "Congressional offices have been the primary, and often only, point of contact for thousands of men, women, and children surviving under a brutal Taliban regime. We continue to directly receive horrific evidence, such as videos, photographs, and audio messages documenting the destruction and harm inflicted on our constituents and American allies at the hands of the Taliban. For many of those who have reached out to our offices, we are their first point of contact. We are the ones who are giving them hope that the United States has not forgotten their service to our country and that we will honor our promise not to leave them behind to a fate of near certain death."
"We feel it is the duty of your administration to immediately issue guidance for Members of Congress on how we can best assist those who reach out to our office requesting immediate direction. These Americans and our allies have asked us whether they can leave for the airport, information on how to get through Taliban roadblocks, what flights out of the country they will be on, and many other questions that need an immediate response. Now that the United States has fully withdrawn from Afghanistan and our military has stopped facilitating evacuations, this guidance is even more necessary. Providing those still in the country with information on possible evacuations, what documentation may be necessary, and what options they have is the least we can do to help those we have left behind. With proper guidance, we will be able to provide the most up to date information to keep these Americans and allies safe while the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate."
The letter is signed by Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Bob Good (R-VA), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Van Taylor (R-TX), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Elaine G. Luria (D-VA), Ed Case (D-HI), Jody Hice (R-GA), Randy Weber (R-TX), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Mark Amodei (R-NV), David Valadao (R-CA), Bill Posey (R-FL), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Jared Golden (D-ME), and Jim Costa (D-CA).
Click here (http://miller.house.gov/sites/miller.house.gov/files/Letter%20to%20President%20Biden%20on%20Afghanistan%20Guidance.pdf) to read the full letter.
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Source: https://miller.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-miller-calls-biden-guidance-how-congressional-offices-should
