House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) dinged the Biden-Harris administration on Tuesday for not apologizing to the families of the servicemembers killed in Afghanistan during the botched withdrawal three years ago.
Johnson, who hosted a ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 servicemembers killed during the withdrawal, said in his remarks, “Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to these servicemembers and those here today who were with them in Kabul.”
He added, “We also owe them something deeper, and that is an apology to families who are here. I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them. We are sorry.”
“The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops. Those fallen and wounded at Abbey Gate deserved our best efforts,” he added.
While President Joe Biden attended a ceremony to receive the bodies of the fallen back to the United States, he was criticized for looking at his watch during the ceremony. Vice President Kamala Harris — who is set to take the debate stage and face former President Donald Trump later Tuesday — was not there at all.
The withdrawal has become a heated topic over the past several weeks, with the same families of the fallen inviting Trump to participate in an Arlington Cemetery ceremony to honor their loved ones. Harris’s campaign accused Trump of politicizing the withdrawal, but the families fired back at her, saying they invited him and gave him permission to film there.
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Recently, the Harris campaign tried to blame Trump for the withdrawal — which Biden has clearly stated was his decision and that he does not regret it.
Biden ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by September 2021, despite the objection of his top military advisers. As the withdrawal was being conducted, the Taliban swept into Kabul and toppled the U.S.-backed government in a surprise rout — sending hundreds of thousands of Americans, foreign citizens, and Afghans scrambling to depart. They all converged at the Kabul International Airport, as the 82nd Airborne and other forces in the region were ordered into Kabul to help protect and evacuate those trying to leave.
With the Taliban surrounding the airport, thousands of desperate Afghans fought to make their way into the airport, with U.S. troops both providing security at the gates and screening evacuees. A suicide bomber was able to make it to the gate and detonate himself, killing the 11 Marines, one sailor, and one soldier, and killing nearly 200 Afghans. More U.S. troops were wounded.
Recently, the House Foreign Affairs Committee released its report, finding that the Biden administration failed to adequately plan for such an evacuation, and that Secretary of State Antony Blinken was on vacation at the time.
Johnson promised the families transparency and continued support.
“The families who have been left to pick up the pieces continue to deserve transparency and appreciation and recognition to you and the families who are not here, I can promise you this: you are not alone and shouldering the burdens from that day, and although we can never fully measure your loss, we can and we must memorialize the ultimate sacrifice that was paid you,” he said.
Those killed were:
— Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover
— Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo
— Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
— Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez
— Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page
— Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez
— Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza
— Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz
— Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum
— Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola
— Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui
— Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak
— and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
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