Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge and thank my Republican colleague from Indiana (Mr. Baird) for joining me on this bipartisan legislation to establish the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts Authorization Act, H.R. 8368. Over the course of our 20-year mission in Afghanistan, more than 300,000 Afghans worked shoulder to shoulder with U.S. servicemembers, diplomats, and aid workers. They provided valuable support for nearly 800,000 U.S. troops who rotated through Afghanistan. They served primarily as translators, guides, and informal advisers to U.S. personnel on the ground. These are, in every sense of the word, our valued allies. They stood with us through difficult conditions, advancing U.S. interests. In August 2021, the U.S. conducted an historic and heroic evacuation that carried 70,000 Afghans to safety along with tens of thousands of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, as well as citizens from other countries. Since July 2021, the State Department has worked around the clock to relocate U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from Afghanistan who wanted to depart and who were eligible Afghan allies who worked with us. Secretary Blinken has made this a top priority for the Department and has said that there is no deadline for this important work. He underscores the commitment that the Biden administration has to this effort and the promise of Operation Enduring Welcome.…”