Washington, DC - Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after two consecutive days of classified briefings from the Biden Administration on the United States’ ongoing efforts to evacuate Americans and their Afghan allies from Afghanistan: 

“Just over a week ago, we watched as President Ghani abruptly departed Afghanistan and the Taliban entered Kabul to take control of the country. From having to evacuate our Embassy to chaos at the airport, the images we saw on our screens that day were heartbreaking. Since then, our brave diplomats, and men and women in uniform have worked diligently to secure the airport and begin what has become one of the largest evacuation operations of all time. 

“Through their tireless work and determination, since August 14, the United States has facilitated the evacuation of more than 80,000 people. It is not how you start, but how you finish and I know history will judge what happens over the coming days as we evacuate those Americans who wish to leave and all those Afghans who supported our efforts in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.  I will continue to be in close communication with the Biden Administration and do everything I can to ensure that every American who wants to leave Afghanistan is evacuated as quickly and safely as possible. 

“The House Foreign Affairs Committee intends to conduct oversight to evaluate the policies that led to the Taliban’s reestablishing control of the country, including those that drove the Trump Administration’s February 2020 agreement, and how this will impact the United States’ broader Afghanistan and counter terrorism strategy.” 

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