Still early days but likely Representatives Moulton (D-MA) and Meijer (MI-R) won’t soon be hanging out of a C-17 wheel well.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation Tuesday, stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., flew in and out on charter aircraft and were on the ground at the Kabul airport for several hours. That led officials to complain that they could be taking seats that would have otherwise gone to other Americans or Afghans fleeing the country, but the congressmen said in a joint statement that they made sure to leave on a flight with empty seats.
“As Members of Congress, we have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch,’” the two said in their statement. “We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand.”
The two lawmakers are both military veterans, with backgrounds in the region. Moulton, a Marine who has been outspoken critic of the Iraq War, served multiple tours in Iraq. Meijer was deployed as part of the Army Reserves and later worked in Afghanistan at a nongovernmental organization providing aid. Both serve on the House Armed Services Committee.
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- "Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in, but they represent the best in America," they said in a joint statement. "These men and women have been run ragged and are still running strong. Their empathy and dedication to duty are truly inspiring."
- They changed their minds on extending the Aug 31 deadline: "After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won’t get everyone out on time, even by Sept 11."
- Multiple sources told me that the White House was not informed about the trip in advance and was pissed about it. Moulton and Meiijer flew to the UAE and hopped on a military jet into Kabul airport without telling the Biden administration anything.
- On the ground, multiple sources told me State Dept and military personnel were pissed off because they had to divert scarce resources to minding two Congressmen. But Moulton and Meiijer, both veterans, tried to minimize their impact on ongoing operations.
- The trip was kept secret for safety purposes. The two lawmakers waited to fly out until there was a plane leaving with two empty seats, so they wouldn't be taking seats away from others. But still, it would be wrong to say their visit didn't cause some disruption.
- We'll learn more when Moulton and Meijer land & start talking (call me maybe?) but this whole episode shows how deep is Congressional frustration with the Biden admini's handling of this entire affair, as everyone realizes many innocent people are about to be abandoned. END
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