In the words of former Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair, a No Labels Legal Board Member, last week was an “awful one for America, but most especially for the families of the 13 troops who were killed defending innocent Afghans outside Kabul’s airport. Our hearts ache for them.”
Blair continued, “As this Afghanistan crisis has unfolded and worsened in the last two weeks, so have the partisan recriminations that quite simply need to stop. Right now, we need Democrats and Republicans in Washington focused on the essential tasks at hand, namely, ensuring the safe evacuation of Americans and our Afghan allies and preventing a repeat of this week’s horrible events. With lives on the line and American wisdom, values and tenacity on the line, it is not the time for finger pointing and partisan attacks, but for bold action and bipartisan resolve.”
America mourns the 13 servicemen that gave the ultimate sacrifice earlier this week in Afghanistan. Continue praying for their families and friends and pray for the remaining Americans and allies in Afghanistan 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Tj37182Q0g
— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) August 28, 2021
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said Sunday that the situation in Afghanistan is due to the actions of administrations of both parties. Last week, the House Problem Solvers Caucus said in a statement, “In this time of tremendous danger, politics must be put aside to advance our common goals.”
Some are putting those aspirational words into action. The office of one Problem Solver, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), worked to evacuate 114 Afghans out of the country to safety.
My staff worked around the clock to help make it happen, connecting to a broad & often ragtag network of people around the world who felt the fear of these Afghans & stepped up to help. Many had served in Afghanistan & put their energy & frustrations into getting people out. 4/14
— Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) August 28, 2021
Others are also uniting around the goal of safely extricating Americans and Afghans who aided the U.S. effort over two decades. Problem Solver Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) said, “Not only do we have Americans who will be left there, but tens of thousands of Afghans who helped us over the last 20 years. Every office, mine included, has been contacted by our citizens who served there and they’re reminding us.”
In an editorial, the Newark Star-Ledger says the U.S. service members who were killed last week “knew a terrorist attack was likely, and they were the targets. … And they kept on rescuing their fellow human beings anyway.” The Star-Ledger says bringing these refugees to safety “should be a bipartisan thing, as it always was in the past. These soldiers, engaged in a selfless and dangerous mission, understood that. Why can’t we all?”
Know their lives. Honor their legacy. https://t.co/CWCvchGJgv
— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) August 28, 2021
