Rep. Van Epps’ Resolution on Fifth Anniversary of Afghanistan Withdrawal

Rep. Van Epps’ Resolution on Fifth Anniversary of Afghanistan Withdrawal

Read the exclusive from Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind here. 

Watch Rep. Van Epps' video press release by clicking here.

In light of the fifth anniversary of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Rep. Matt Van Epps (TN-07) introduced a resolution condemning the series of decisions that led to the death of 13 servicemembers at Abbey Gate. 

This resolution was cosponsored by: Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), Rep. Daniel Webster (FL-11), Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Rep. Michael McCaul (TX-10), Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-04), Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02), Rep. Randy Fine (FL-06), Rep. Tom Barrett (MI-07), Rep. Barry Moore (AL-01), Rep. Young Kim (CA-40), Rep. Pete Stauber (MN-08), Rep. Max Miller (OH-07), Rep. Randy Weber (TX-14), Rep. Ken Calvert (CA-41), Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11), Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Rep. Russell Fry (SC-07), Rep. Cory Mills (FL-07), Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02), Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03), Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06), Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06), Rep. John McGuire (VA-05), Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Rep. Mark Alford (MO-04), Rep. Jim Baird (IN-04), Rep. Roger Williams (TX-25)

Rep. Van Epps said, “The United States spent upwards of two trillion dollars fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. During these two decades, 2,400 servicemembers were killed while many more were injured. It’s impossible to measure the price of the months and years men and women had to spend away from their families, or the other sacrifices servicemembers make daily when deployed to a war zone. I deployed to Afghanistan eight times after the September 11 terrorist attacks, flying many dangerous missions as part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). While in Afghanistan, I saw unspeakable horrors, including the Taliban’s oppression of the Afghan people, and then I witnessed too many of my friends return home in flag-draped coffins. After all of this, watching twenty years of our nation’s collective work collapse in a matter of days was traumatic for many veterans. Despite this, I take solace in the fact that we did our job. We took out high-value terrorist targets and made the world safer as a result. This, however, does not change the fact that this withdrawal was poorly planned.” 

“Most agree that the United States couldn’t stay in Afghanistan indefinitely, but many also believe that there was a way to leave that didn’t result in an immediate Taliban takeover. While that may be debatable, few disagree that it was President Biden’s flawed decisions and strategic errors that resulted in the bombing at Abbey Gate, stranding 1,000 Americans, leaving billions of dollars' worth of military equipment behind, and deserting our Afghan and NATO allies,” Rep. Van Epps continued. 

“To make matters worse, President Biden has only ever defended his decision over the years to withdraw from Afghanistan by an arbitrary date regardless of the consequences for U.S. personnel, servicemembers, or the Afghan people. Years later, there has still been no meaningful accountability for one of the most damaging foreign policy failures in recent history. That’s why I am introducing this resolution to the House of Representatives. This resolution will remind the world what weakness on the world stage looks like. And this resolution will remind our country about the cost of capitulating to its enemies instead of leading with resolve,” Rep. Van Epps concluded. 

Read the resolution here.