Hearing Wrap Up: Americans Deserve Answers on President Biden’s Catastrophic Afghanistan Withdrawal - United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

Inspector General confirms Biden Administration is obstructing congressional oversight.

WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing titled “The Biden Administration’s Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan, Part I: Review by the Inspectors General.” At the hearing, members emphasized that the Biden Administration’s poor planning resulted in a catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan and Administration officials continue to obstruct oversight. Members stressed the importance of examining the work completed by the Inspectors General (IG) and highlighted that IG testimony is critical to holding the Biden Administration accountable for the failed withdrawal. Members also stated that American taxpayers continue to provide billions in economic aid to the region and the Committee has a responsibility to minimize risks of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Key Takeaways:

The Biden Administration’s poor decisions and execution during the Afghanistan withdrawal led to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers, left Americans stranded, allowed U.S. military equipment to fall into Taliban hands, jeopardized progress made by Afghan women, and destabilized the entire region.

This Administration has failed to provide Congress answers, continues to make excuses for the humanitarian and national security catastrophe, and is obstructing meaningful congressional oversight.

Americans continue to provide billions in taxpayer dollars for Afghanistan reconstruction and humanitarian efforts. The IG community has not only identified waste, fraud, and abuse, but the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) detailed how a lack of oversight has enabled the Taliban to access taxpayer funds.

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “Since the Taliban takeover, the U.S. government has sought to continue supporting the Afghan people without providing benefits for the Taliban regime. However, it is clear from our work that the Taliban is using various methods to divert U.S. aid dollars.”

SIGAR Sopko testified that their reports required by Congress and the law are being obstructed by the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Treasury Department, and the United Nations (UN).

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “Due to the refusal of State and USAID to fully cooperate with SIGAR, I cannot report to this Committee or the American people on the extent to which our government may be funding the Taliban and other nefarious groups with U.S. taxpayer dollars. We simply do not know since the Department of State, USAID, the UN and other agencies are refusing to give us basic information…”

The Oversight Committee has a responsibility to understand the factors and decisions that ultimately led to the collapse as well as the continued risks to U.S. taxpayer dollars going to Afghanistan.

Member Highlights:

Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) emphasized how the Biden Administration has failed to produce information on the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. He stressed that the IGs testifying will help Congress understand the Administration’s decisions as well as oversee taxpayer funds going to Afghanistan.

Chairman Comer: “Since the Afghan government’s collapse, the Oversight Committee has wanted answers from the Biden Administration. We plan to get them. Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for terrorism, as demonstrated by a rise in attacks by ISIS-K. China and Russia are emboldened. Allies around the world wonder if the U.S. can still rise to meet the threats that face us today. Today’s hearing will be the first in a series to examine President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“The Inspectors General here today have years of expertise when it comes to monitoring U.S. taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan. They have identified billions in waste, fraud, and abuse in warfighting and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. The goal of today’s hearing is simple: explore the facts.”

During the hearing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed the Administration has provided Inspectors General all requested information and updates related to the withdrawal. Chairman Comer asked Inspector General John Sopko if this statement was true and Mr. Sopko, under oath, confirmed the Administration is obstructing his work.

Chairman Comer: “Mr. Sopko the White House Press Secretary was just asked whether the Biden Administration has stonewalled you and your office. She responded by saying that the Biden Administration has provided you updates and information. My question is: has the Biden Administration cooperated with your investigation?”

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “No they haven’t.”

Chairman Comer: “Have they consistently provided updates and information?”

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “No.”

Chairman Comer: “Do you have all the information you need to complete your work?

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “No.”

Chairman Comer: “I’m sure the Washington Post Fact Checker will correct her.”

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) emphasized that billions in taxpayer dollars continue to go to Afghanistan and highlighted the importance of ensuring U.S. funds are not intercepted and used by the Taliban.

Rep. Grothman: “Let’s go to John Sopko. Today you are releasing your 2023 High Risk list that examines the ongoing risks to taxpayer dollars. What are the biggest risks you have identified?”

Mr. John Sopko (SIGAR): “I think the biggest risk is the Taliban… we do know they are siphoning money from us. That has started. When we asked State how much money the Taliban was getting from our programs, they couldn’t answer. That’s because they simply don’t know… There is a refusal by State and USAID to answer basic oversight questions.”

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) expressed his concern that the Taliban is diverting U.S. funds, particularly funding for Afghan women and food access, and stressed that taxpayer dollars need to be protected.

Rep. Palmer: “Mr. Sopko you have expressed some reservations about U.S. funding… how confident are you that the Taliban will make sure that every dollar of U.S. taxpayer money will go towards supporting human rights, particularly those of women and girls?”

Mr. Sopko (SIGAR): “I don’t trust the Taliban as far as you can throw them. The Taliban is already diverting funds. I am not opposed to humanitarian assistance… if the purpose is to help the Afghan people, we need to have effective oversight.”

Rep. Palmer:“I support humanitarian aid. But I don’t support giving money to people who are murdering people in the streets and denying basic human rights.”

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) noted that the Biden Administration is actively obstructing SIGAR’s work and confirmed that SIGAR is not receiving critical information from any Department or Agency responsible for the withdrawal.

Rep. Turner: “The Administration promised they wouldn’t run for the exits… but they did so and in the middle of the night. Mr. Sopko, you sent a letter to Secretary Blinken stating that State and USAID were required by law to provide information… I have not received responses to my letters. Have your received responses to your letters?”

Mr. Sopko (SIGAR): “Welcome to my world… We have not received a response back from the Secretary of State or anybody in the Administration really.”

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) stressed that the U.S. intelligence community suffered an unacceptable failure, and the American people should be provided an explanation.

Rep. Biggs: “We were told the Afghanistan government was going to hang in there. How did the intelligence community get it so wrong?”

Mr. Sopko (SIGAR): “If you read our reports, you could not believe the Afghan government was going to survive… I don’t really know who would have thought the Afghan government was going to survive. I don’t know who is telling the Administration that there were 300,000 Afghan police toward the end. We have reports that half those people were probably ghosts. We were paying their salaries. But they didn’t exist… I don’t know who in the intelligence community, not the people we were talking to, was putting this information out.”

Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kansas) outlined how the Biden Administration’s botched withdrawal was an unmitigated disaster. He highlighted that the Administration failed to protect U.S. servicemembers and allies, forfeited military equipment to the Taliban, and emboldened foreign adversaries.

Rep. LaTurner: “Despite four months of prep time, the failed evacuation was marred by poor decision making and incoherent operational logistics. The premature abandonment left the Taliban armed with a vast arsenal of American military equipment. Approximately 23,000 armored vehicles, 165 helicopters, and 550,000 firearms were promptly turned on the people of Afghanistan… Our botched evacuation underscores much of the geopolitical upheaval we see today.”

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) pointed out that the State Department and USAID have obstructed meaningful oversight and have unilaterally interfered with SIGAR’s ability to gather information they are legally responsible to produce.

Rep. Donalds: “We have a problem that is pretty clear and apparent. There is obstruction coming out of the State Department and USAID. This Administration has unilaterally stopped SIGAR’s ability to get the information Congress has authorized you to collect. Is that correct?”

Mr. Sopko (SIGAR): “That is correct.”

Rep. Donalds:“We don’t get answers either.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) highlighted that the Biden Administration needs to be held accountable for the disastrous withdrawal and transparent about the decisions that made the withdrawal chaotic.

Rep. Foxx: “The chaotic withdrawal reeks of poor planning, execution, and paid with the blood of American soldiers. As IG, all of you had offices at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, what was your experience like when planning and evacuating your offices?”

Mr. Sopko (SIGAR): “I am happy to answer that. I think the statement you made about it being confusing and hectic, I did have people there, it was…”

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) stressed that the Biden Administration conducted a half-baked withdrawal plan that resulted in one of the biggest military failures in decades and the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers.

Rep. Mace: “Even the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says he has no regrets about the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. No regrets for the 13 lives lost. I believe that is an embarrassing comment… The American people saw the execution of a half-baked withdrawal plan that resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers and left behind thousands of interpreters that also risked their lives for this country.”

CLICK HERE to watch the hearing.