Ruppersberger Issues Statement on Collapse of Afghanistan Government

Statement

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, a Defense Appropriator in the U.S. House of Representatives, today released the following statement on the situation in Afghanistan:

"President Biden made a difficult decision to move forward with U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan with the backing of the American people and keeping with the previous Administration's negotiated May 1 deadline. Now, the immediate safety and security of all U.S. personnel on the ground in Afghanistan must be our number one priority and I support recent decisions by the President to deploy additional forces to Kabul to facilitate the safe departure of our teammates, including our allies and partners.

Although a Taliban advance in Afghanistan leading up to and following our departure was a well-stated possibility in many hearings and policy conversations in Washington over the last year, any amount of foresight and planning does not make their rapid advance across the country any less painful. Especially to those, many of whom I represent in Congress, who have deployed and fought for our American values in Afghanistan over the last 20 years and lost loved ones and dear friends. The country will never forget your sacrifice.

It is my expectation that Members of Congress will receive a briefing from the Administration to detail the circumstances surrounding the swift advance of the Taliban. Many questions will be asked at that time and in the days ahead of what we could have done better or planned for more vigorously. There is no question about the difficulty that lies ahead of us in ensuring we continue to support our allies and partners in the region. We must do everything in our power to protect those Afghans who are vulnerable under any Taliban regime -- most importantly women and children -- and we must continue to expeditiously relocate those who have assisted U.S. efforts."

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