From August 16, 2021 post.
Congressman Brad Wenstrup (OH-02) issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s handling of the current situation in Afghanistan:
"This chaos didn’t have to happen. There is no excuse for what we are seeing play out right now, and I’m disheartened and sad as I watch the images coming out of Afghanistan. American embassy personnel and citizens are huddled in the overrun Kabul airport awaiting emergency evacuation. Afghans are so desperate for safety and protection that they are taking extreme and life-threatening measures – because these are better than their alternatives. I’m disgusted by the lack of leadership coming from the White House, especially the lack of ownership over this crisis.
In April, I joined bipartisan Members of Congress in forming the Honoring Our Promises Working Group. For months now, we have been calling on the administration to develop a concrete plan to save our Afghan allies who worked by our side over the last 20 years as we fought for peace, democracy, and human rights in Afghanistan. We sent letters, held calls with administration officials, and even passed critical legislation to pave the way and give them the tools this administration said they needed.
We made a promise to these Afghans that we would stand up for them if they fought with us. I know firsthand that our warfighters could not do their jobs without these brave men and women, and our Afghan allies volunteered to serve the United States because they believed in our cause and our people. I personally supported two Iraqi interpreters who are now highly contributing U.S. citizens. Make no mistake – our failure to honor our promises is a black eye on the United States.
The time will come for Congress to exercise its rightful oversight role and conduct the necessary after-action reviews. There’s no shortage of questions to be asked for which the American people deserve answers. But right now, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to getting our partners out of harm’s way. As Congress has already shown, we are willing and able to move legislative measures necessary to accomplish this goal, but the administration – not Congress – is solely responsible for developing and executing a strategy. The administration must now do its job.
If you or someone you know is an American stranded in Afghanistan or if you are a constituent looking to aid an Afghan SIV applicant stranded in Afghanistan, please call my office at (513) 605 – 1380 or (513) 474 – 7777, and we will do everything we can to help."
Congressman Wenstrup is the lead Republican cosponsor of the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act of 2021 and co-led the Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act of 2021 with members of the Honoring Our Promises Working Group. Critical provisions of both pieces of legislation were passed by Congress and signed into law.
Wenstrup joined the Honoring Our Promises Working Group letters to President Biden encouraging swifter action to help SIVs, dated April 21, June 4, and August 13.
Congressman Wenstrup currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support. He is a veteran of the Iraq war, having served a tour of duty in 2005-2006. In May 2006, at the end of his yearlong combat tour in Iraq, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Combat Action Badge, and numerous campaign medals for his service to his country.
Original source can be found here.
