Media

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after hearing firsthand accounts from witnesses on the Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal before the House Foreign Affairs Committee:

“Today’s hearing was humbling and moving. Nearly two years ago, the world watched with horror the hasty and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which abandoned countless allies and American citizens on the ground and ultimately ceded control to the ruthless Taliban,” said Congressman Baird. “This hearing has proven that the Biden administration not only failed to plan for contingencies but misled the American people throughout the evacuation, as senior officials and even the president himself made claims that the evacuation was moving efficiently and claimed that it was ‘highly unlikely’ the Taliban would take power.”

“As a result, the withdrawal and evacuation has jeopardized our national security, emboldened our adversaries, and has shaken our allies’ trust. I would like to thank all of our witnesses for their countless sacrifices and for bravely recounting such painful memories, providing the committee invaluable insight. Now the committee and Congress must hold the administration accountable for a self-inflicted international crisis. I encourage this administration to comply with the House Foreign Affairs Committee so that we can take appropriate action to prevent something like this from ever happening again. The safety of Americans, both at home and abroad, depend on it.”