Ten Democrats joined Republicans in the House of Representatives to rebuke the Biden administration for its handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The vote, which passed 219 to 194, was part of a resolution introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul following an extended investigation into the chaotic military operation.
Fox News reported that the resolution criticizes 15 current or former Biden administration members for their role in the Afghanistan withdrawal, which has faced significant scrutiny since 2021.
Among the Democrats voting in favor of the measure were Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine), Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), and Jeff Jackson (D-N.C.).
These lawmakers crossed party lines to express dissatisfaction with how the withdrawal was handled, emphasizing the ongoing debate surrounding the event.
Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, has been at the forefront of efforts to hold Biden administration officials accountable. His investigation spanned several years and culminated in this resolution. McCaul criticized what he described as the prioritization of optics over security, citing the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers during the evacuation as a critical failure.
"Three years after the deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden-Harris administration has yet to hold anyone accountable for one of the most devastating foreign policy blunders in American history," McCaul said.
His committee’s findings led to the rebuke of prominent figures within the administration, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The resolution also named other officials like Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and former press secretary Jen Psaki.
Despite the bipartisan vote, opposition to McCaul’s resolution remained strong within Democratic ranks. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the effort against the bill. Meeks argued that the resolution was more about politics than finding real solutions to the challenges left in the wake of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
"This resolution, as I've said all along, is nothing more than political theater designed to score cheap points rather than address the real issues at hand," Meeks said. He emphasized that the focus should be on supporting Afghan allies and ensuring that lessons from the withdrawal are properly learned, rather than engaging in partisan finger-pointing.
Tensions escalated further as McCaul’s committee advanced a resolution holding Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress. McCaul has accused Blinken of stonewalling the investigation by withholding information. The committee's decision comes amid broader concerns about transparency and accountability regarding the withdrawal.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated that this contempt resolution could move to a full House vote after the six-week recess starting Wednesday. However, opposition to the measure remains firm, with critics labeling it as another politically motivated move rather than a genuine effort at oversight.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned the resolution as a "naked political exercise," arguing that the majority’s actions were motivated by partisanship rather than accountability.
The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 marked the end of a 20-year military engagement in the country. However, the operation’s execution quickly became a point of controversy as images of chaos spread across media platforms. Harrowing scenes, such as Afghans clinging to planes or mothers passing their children over barbed wire in desperate attempts to flee, highlighted the human toll of the withdrawal.
McCaul referenced these moments in his remarks. "Who could ever forget the harrowing images of Afghans falling off the planes, and babies being flung over barbed wire in a desperate attempt by mothers to save their children and escape Afghanistan under Taliban rule?" he said.
For many, these images crystallized the sense of disorder surrounding the withdrawal and the broader foreign policy implications.
The Afghanistan withdrawal remains a significant point of contention for both Republicans and Democrats. While McCaul and his allies seek to hold specific administration members accountable, others argue that the focus should shift to more productive endeavors.
In his speech, Rep. Gregory Meeks expressed his respect for McCaul but maintained his strong disagreement. "I have tremendous respect [for Meeks]. We work together on many things, bipartisan. And when we don't agree, we do so civilly. However, I cannot disagree with you more than I do today," McCaul said in response.
The ongoing debate over accountability reflects deeper divisions within Congress, as lawmakers continue to grapple with the broader implications of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and what it means for future foreign policy decisions.
As the House moves forward with its investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal, the political and diplomatic fallout remains unresolved. Ten Democrats sided with Republicans in rebuking the Biden administration, a notable departure from typical party lines.
The controversy surrounding the withdrawal, from accusations of mismanagement to calls for accountability, is likely to remain a central issue in foreign policy discussions.
Ultimately, McCaul's investigation and the contempt resolution against Secretary Blinken signal that efforts to address the perceived failures of the withdrawal are far from over. Whether these efforts are successful in achieving meaningful change or remain a political exercise will be a key question in the months ahead.
