Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) issued the following statement on the House Foreign Affairs Committee's report on the Biden-Harris Administration's failed U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021:

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is one of the most catastrophic failures in American foreign policy history. The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation has thoroughly demonstrated that the Biden-Harris Administration chose to prioritize optics over the safety and security of Americans. The most senior leaders in the Administration disregarded the advice of military and security professionals, ignored the facts on the ground, and indulged in wishful thinking and endless deliberation that left American troops and diplomats in-country dangerously exposed – ultimately resulting in the tragic and unnecessary deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers.
 
“The Committee’s investigation revealed that President Biden and Vice President Harris were determined to abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban at any cost, unlike former President Trump’s decision to leave a small counterterrorism force in place at the end of his Administration. The consequences of this self-inflicted wound and the damage to American deterrence are being seen around the world in the form of resurgent terrorist threats in Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and increased Chinese aggression in Asia.
 
“House Republicans are committed to aggressive oversight of the Biden-Harris Administration, and this report shows the importance of congressional investigations in holding the executive branch accountable for its failures – especially when not one senior official has lost their job for it. Through document discovery, transcribed interviews, and public hearings, House Republicans have revealed to the American people the sad truth about this historic disaster.”

Click here to view the House Foreign Affairs Committee's report.