House spending panel frets over future in Afghanistan – By John M. Donnelly (Roll Call) / July 13 2021
As the U.S. withdraws troops, House panel members cite security and spending concerns, as well as threats to the lives of Afghans
House lawmakers charged with setting the Pentagon’s budget are concerned about the fallout from the nearly complete U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the implications for U.S. security, for oversight of billions of American dollars and for the safety of thousands of Afghans who aided the U.S. war effort.
In a new report accompanying its draft Pentagon spending bill for fiscal 2022, the House Appropriations Committee expressed concerns about risks to the lives of Afghan people who helped American troops and spies. The lawmakers also stated their worries about the challenges of overseeing billions of additional U.S. funds for Afghanistan’s military and police. And they are unclear, even after getting Pentagon briefings, about the department’s plans for ensuring the war-torn nation will not again become a breeding ground for terrorism.
The committee plans to mark up the $706 billion Defense Department spending bill on Tuesday
House appropriators in their report wrote they are “concerned with the backlog of current applications” of Afghans who are awaiting special visas to get to the United States.
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