PARIS?
>> PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPOKE
EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THE OFFICIAL
END OF THE 20-YEAR WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN.
HERE IS SOME OF WHAT HE SAID.
>> I WAS NOT GOING TO EXTEND
THIS FOREVER WAR.
AND I WAS NOT EXTENDING A
FOREVER EXIT.
THE DECISION TO END THE MILITARY
LIFT OPERATIONS AT KABUL AIRPORT
WAS BASED ON UNANIMOUS
RECOMMENDATION OF MY CIVILIAN
AND MILITARY ADVISERS.
>> AND JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT
THE MILITARY'S PULL OUT FROM
AFGHANISTAN AND MORE IS
CONGRESSMAN RODNEY DAVIS A
REPUBLICAN FROM TAYLORVILLE WHO
IS THE RANKING REPUBLICAN ON THE
COMMITTEE ON HOUSE
ADMINISTRATION.
WE INVITED A NUMBER OF DEMOCRATS
FROM THE ILLINOIS DELEGATION TO
JOIN US BUT THEY DECLINED OUR
INVITATION.
CONGRESSMAN DAVIS THANK YOU FOR
BEING WITH US.
YOU HEARD THE PRESIDENT THERE HE
HAS DEFENDED ENDING THIS WAR
AFTER 20 YEARS AND DEFENDED THE
EXECUTION OF THE WITHDRAWAL.
DO YOU AGREE WITH HIS
ASSESSMENT?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I THINK PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION COMPLETELY OWN
THE BOTCHED EXECUTION OF THIS
PLAN.
IT WAS A PLAN THAT WE HAVE SEEN
HAS HAD DEADLY CONSEQUENCES FOR
OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE
MILITARY AND THIS WILL GO DOWN
AS ONE OF THE WORST DECISIONS
MADE BY ANY PRESIDENT IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> WHICH DECISION?
THE DECISION TO END THE WAR OR
HOW IT WAS DONE?
>> THE EXECUTION OF THIS PLAN
WAS ABYSMAL.
WE HAVE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
MILITARY EQUIPMENT IN THE HANDS
OF THE TALIBAN.
HIS OWN MILITARY LEADERS HAVE
QUESTIONED THAT VOTE OF
UNANIMITY BUT HE IS THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
HE OWNS THIS.
AND FRANKLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN AFGHANISTAN,
WE AS LEADERS HAVE TO EDUCATE
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS TO WHAT
IS THE BEST PLAN OF ACTION IN
ANYTHING WE DO.
AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
EASY FOR HIM AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION TO TALK ABOUT
HAVING A FORCE OF 2500 ROTATING
AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN
AFGHANISTAN TO KEEP THE EMBASSY
OPEN, TO KEEP BAGHRAM AIR BASE
AND BE THAT MAXIMIZER TO THE
AVERAGE BEGAN MILITARY AND
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.
INSTEAD HE PULLED OUT.
AND AFGHANISTAN IS NOW UNDER THE
CONTROL OF THE TALIBAN AND THEY
HAVE MORE PROVINCES TODAY THAN
THEY DID ON SEPTEMBER 10TH OF
01.
>> THE PRESIDENT SAYS THERE WAS
UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE
AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES WOULD BE
ABLE TO HOLD LONGER THAN THEY
DID.
WERE THERE ANY CREDIBLE VOICES
SAYING THE OPPOSITE?
PLANNING FOR A WORST CASE
SCENARIO THAT OCCURRED?
>> LET ME JUST SAY I'VE BEEN IN
TOP SECURITY BRIEFINGS, TOP
LEVEL THAT I CANNOT TALK ABOUT
HERE AND I WILL TELL YOU I
DIDN'T GET THE INDICATION THAT
THERE WAS UNANIMITY AND THERE
WASN'T GOING TO BE DISASTROUS
CONSEQUENCES.
HOWEVER, I CANNOT SPEAK ABOUT
THE DETAILS.
BUT IN THE END, HE IS THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
HE MAKES THE FINAL DECISIONS
WITH MILITARY LEADERS.
AND THEIR JOB IS TO GO EXECUTE
THE ORDERS.
THEY EXECUTED THE ORDERS.
AND FRANKLY NOW CONGRESS IN A
BIPARTISAN WAY NEEDS TO DO ITS
JOB AND WE NEED TO CONDUCT
OVERSIGHT.
WE NEED TO BRING THE MILITARY
LEADERS IN FRONT OF
CONGRESSIONAL PANELS.
HAVE THE REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS ASK THE QUESTIONS.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE TO
KNOW THE ANSWERS.
>> YOU'RE CALLING FOR
CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES INTO HOW
THIS DRAWDOWN WAS HANDLED?
>> YES, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO
REASON THAT CHAIRMAN SMITH OF
THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE AND
ALSO OTHER COMMITTEES OF
JURISDICTION THERE IS NO REASON
THEY SHOULDN'T BRING IN MILITARY
LEADERS AND ASK THEM WHY THIS
DECISION WAS MADE AND ASK THEM
WHY THEIR PLANNERS WERE SO WRONG
IN THINKING THAT THE AFGHAN
GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO
SUSTAIN ITSELF WHEN THEIR ENTIRE
SECURITY APPARATUS WAS BUILT
UPON OUR FORCES AND OUR AIR
POWER BEING FORCE MAXIMIZERS.
>> THERE ARE REPORTS THERE ARE
BETWEEN 100-200 AMERICANS LEFT
IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE BLINKIN
SAID THERE WOULD BE DIPLOMATIC
CHANNELS TO HELP GET SOME OF
THESE FOLKS OUT THAT WANT TO
COME OUT.
WHAT IS THE DIPLOMATIC LEVERAGE
THE U.S. HAS?
>> ZERO.
BECAUSE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
HAS BOTCHED THIS SO BADLY, WE
HAVE NO LEVERAGE OVER THE
TALIBAN.
AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION STAGED A
PHOTO-OP ACTING LIKE THE LAST
AMERICAN OUT WAS THE GENERAL IN
CHARGE WHEN WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF
AMERICANS STILL THERE.
THIS, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF ISSUES
LIKE THIS, WILL GO DOWN IN
AMERICAN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE
WORST DECISIONS A PRESIDENT HAS
EVER MADE.
>> CONGRESSMAN, WE'VE SPOKEN
WITH A LOT OF REFUGEE AND
IMMIGRANT GROUPS THAT ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THE AFGHANS THAT
REMAIN THOSE, THOSE THAT
ASSISTED THE UNITED STATES AND
THEIR FAMILIES ALL OF THEM ARE
IN DANGER OF BEING KILLED BY THE
TALIBAN.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WHAT CAN
CONGRESS DO TO ASSIST IN THEIR
EVACUATION AND RESETTLEMENT
POTENTIALLY HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES?
>> WELL, MY OFFICE HAS DEALT
WITH SOME OF THE SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT VISA REQUESTS AND MY
OFFICE HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN
MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES OF
AMERICANS AND THOSE WHO
SUPPORTED OUR AMERICAN EFFORTS
WERE ABLE TO GET OUT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE ARE
NO AMERICANS THAT ARE THERE TO
SAFELY EVACUATE ANY OF THESE
AMERICANS OR ANY OF THE AFGHAN
INTERPRETERS WHO HAVE RISKED
THEIR LIVES IN HELPING OUR
MILITARY.
IT IS A SHAME.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
BUT PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS
ADMINISTRATION MADE SURE THEIR
LIVES AND THEIR ABILITY TO GET
HERE SAFELY AND WORK THROUGH
DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS ARE SEVERELY
CHALLENGED RIGHT NOW.
>> THE FACT THERE ARE SO MANY
AFGHANS AND SEVERAL DOZEN
AMERICANS DOES IT MEAN THAT
THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF
DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL WITH THE
TALIBAN TO INSURE THEIR SAFETY?
>> SEVERAL DOZEN?
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN
CITIZENS STILL STUCK AND THAT IS
JUST THE NUMBER THAT IS
REPORTED.
LET'S NOT DOWNGRADE IT'S DOZENS.
BECAUSE ONE IS TOO MANY, PARIS.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
TALIBAN, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY
DECIDED TO PROVIDE DIPLOMATIC
EFFORTS WITH THE TALIBAN WHEN
THEY ALLOWED THE TALIBAN TO
PROVIDE SECURITY IN KABUL.
THEY GAVE UP KABUL TO THE
TALIBAN AND THEY'VE ALREADY
CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
TALIBAN TO VIEW THEMSELVES AS A
LEGITIMATE PART OF THE GLOBAL
SOCIETY.
AND THAT IS JUST AMAZING TO ME
THAT THE PRESIDENT STILL DOES
NOT TAKE ANY BLAME FOR HOW BADLY
THIS ENTIRE SITUATION WAS
BOTCHED.
THAT LED TO THE DEATHS OF 13
BRAVE AMERICANS.
>> AND TO BE FAIR, CONGRESSMAN,
I SHOULD MENTION THE FORMER
PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION DID
NEGOTIATE WITH THE TALIBAN AND
DID NEGOTIATE AN INITIAL
WITHDRAWAL DEAL AND INITIAL
TIMELINE.
I WANT TO MOVE TO DOMESTIC
POLITICS BECAUSE BEFORE THIS
TRANSPIRED THERE WAS AN
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT YOU
WERE HELPING NEGOTIATE AND IT
PASSED THE SENATE.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT IN
THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, THERE IS NO STATUS.
THE SPEAKER DECIDED TO CALL FOR
A VOTE SOMETIME AT THE END OF
SEPTEMBER.
MY COLLEAGUES WHO MANY OF THEM
ARE MY FRIENDS ON THE MODERATE
SIDE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
THEY CAVED.
THEY DECIDED TO VOTE FOR THE
RULE TO ALLOW THE 3.5 TRILLION
RECONCILIATION PACKAGE THAT WILL
BANKRUPT OUR FAMILY FARMS, FROM
BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE NEXT
GENERATION BY THE HEINOUS TAX
CHANGES BEING PROPOSED.
AND REALLY WHAT IT'S DONE IT'S
ALLOWED THE PROGRESSIVES TO HAVE
THE LEVERAGE AND THEY HAVE NOW
SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT VOTE ON
ANY INFRASTRUCTURE BILL UNLESS
IT'S CLOSELY ATTACHED TO THE 3.5
TRILLION RECONCILIATION THAT
INCLUDES THEIR LIBERAL WISH
LIST.
>> DOES THAT IMPERIL THE CHANCES
IN THE HOUSE?
ANY CONSENSUS ON A ROLL CALL AT
THIS POINT FOR THAT BILL FOR THE
$1 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE BILL?
>> NO.
THERE'S ZERO CONSENSUS OR THEY
WOULD HAVE IT IT.
THE SPEAKER CAN CALL THAT PIECE
OF LEGISLATION ANY DAY SHE
WANTS.
WE WERE IN WASHINGTON D.C. SHE
CHOSE NOT TO AND TELLS ME THAT
SHE IS DOING EVERYTHING THAT THE
FAR LEFT PROGRESSIVES AND THAT
WING OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
WANT AND THEY ARE TRYING TO
LEVERAGE A POPULAR TITLE OF
INFRASTRUCTURE TO PASS A 3.5
TRILLION WISH LIST THAT THEY
HAVE NOW SELF TITLED HUMAN
INFRASTRUCTURE.
IF YOU WERE A TAXPAYER IN THE
STATE OF ILLINOIS, BE CONCERNED
WHEN MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES IN
WASHINGTON BEGIN TO RATIONALIZE
WHAT IS INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT
IS NOT.
WE KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY TRY TO FOOL YOU
INTO SPENDING TRILLIONS MORE.