Chris Van Hollen

The Build Back Better agenda that President Biden has proposed would pay for itself through some of the tax reform measures you mentioned, right?

What Mitch McConnell wants to do is have in that reconciliation bill this price tag for raising the debt ceiling. Over 30 percent of that debt was accumulated in the four years of the Trump administration.

If he wants to take us over the cliff and watch the economy crash because he is filibustering an increase in the debt ceiling, it will be totally on him and the American people will know it.

Mitch McConnell once again be an entirely hypocritical, which is not surprising. But I do think the country will focus on what they’re doing to all of us, the country, which is threatening a total economic meltdown, playing economic arson.

I look forward to working with you on that.

There is a saying in Afghanistan that foreigners have the watches, we have the time.

We have to ensure that our own commitment to help the Afghan people endures past the takeoff of that last U.S. military transport plane.

I am relieved that for the first time in 20 years, children being born in this country today are not being born into a nation at war.

A more inclusive government because, right now, we have a government comprised of Taliban, including two members of the Haqqani Network.

The Taliban clearly have new PR people.

I did not oppose the decision of the Trump administration to open up negotiations with the Taliban.

Every member of this committee I think has to agree that we have to ensure that there is humanitarian aid that goes into Afghanistan to help those who are in need.

You cannot attack American forces, but you can attack Afghan forces with impunity, right?

I really urge you to have the State Department surge more people to this process to help the remaining Americans out of Afghanistan.

The level of hypocrisy in this room and this Congress is staggering.

I sent a letter with four of my colleagues today asking for the Administration to ensure that the money previously allocated or requested for Afghan war efforts be repurposed to assist Afghans in need.

President Biden ultimately was right to follow through on that commitment to end our country's longest war.

We owe them a debt of gratitude.

President Trump, of course, did not leave an actual plan to evacuate all of those who should have been taken out of Afghanistan, and President Trump's vision without a plan is and was a hallucination.

Their actions since taking over Afghanistan have been pretty horrifying.

To demand the Taliban abide by its commitments now and expect a different result I think is somewhat absurd.

I supported the decision to eventually withdraw our military from Afghanistan.

I believe the U.S. clearly fell short on the first measure.

Nor should any country be in a rush to unilaterally recognize this regime.

The U.S. should reimpose those sanctions that were waived during the negotiations process.