Nancy Pelosi Blocks House From Reading Names of 13 US Service Members Killed In Kabul
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (California) was met with backlash from Republicans on Tuesday after blocking the House from publicly reading the names of the 13 US servicemen recently killed in terror attacks in Afghanistan.
House Republican lawmakers said Pelosi turned down their request to pay respects to the slain US soldiers after the deadly blast near the Kabul airport last week where American troops were conducting evacuation operations.
“We gaveled in, had a prayer, said the Pledge of Allegiance, took a moment of silence with pretty much all Republican veterans, then asked to be recognized to read names and bring up Afghanistan legislation,” Rep. Brian Mast (Florida) said in earlier reports — but noting that Pelosi just ignored the GOP lawmaker’s request to read the names.
“They did not acknowledge us, and just closed the House down,” Mast added.
Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez, also from Florida hinted at the same scenario as he tweeted a rhetorical question alleging that Pelosi, the top House Democrat, is attempting “to cover up” the failures of the Biden administration in Afghanistan.
“How badly do Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats want to cover up this Afghanistan debacle?” Gimenez posted in his tweet.
“They just blocked Members of Congress from reading the names of the service members who sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan last week. Don’t you think our military deserves better?” he added.
How badly do Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats want to cover up this Afghanistan debacle?
They just blocked Members of Congress from reading the names of the service members who sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan last week.
Don’t you think our military deserves better?
— Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) August 31, 2021
Rep. Greg Steube (Florida) also slammed Pelosi’s move to ignore the requests of House GOP lawmakers saying that what the House Speaker exhibited is an example of “how far our nation has fallen.”
“House Democrats just refused to recognize Republican veterans on the House Floor to read the names of our fallen service members in Afghanistan. That’s how far our nation has fallen,” Steube tweeted.
House Democrats just refused to recognize Republican veterans on the House Floor to read the names of our fallen service members in Afghanistan.
That’s how far our nation has fallen.
— Congressman Greg Steube (@RepGregSteube) August 31, 2021
Speaker Pelosi’s decision to turn down the request of House Republicans to publicly read the names of the fallen soldiers in Afghanistan on the House floor came as 40 Republicans have so far called for President Joe Biden’s resignation in the light of the catastrophic turn of events related to the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan.
The Biden administration scrambled to evacuate its citizens, allies and troops ahead of the August 31 deadline to leave the country causing massive chaos and security risks during the evacuation. It was also marked by the terror attack on August 26 that left 13 US troops, as well as at least 90 Afghans dead.
The US servicemen killed in the attacks claimed by ISIS-K were Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22 (Ohio), Army Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, 23 (Tennessee), Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Darin T. Hoover Jr., 31 (Salt Lake City), Marine Corps Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25 (Massachusetts), Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, 23 (California), Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez, 22 (California), Marine Corps Corporal Daegan W. Page, 23 (Nebraska), and Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez, 22 (Indiana).
The rest were 20-year old Marines Corps Lance Corporal David L. Espinoza (Texas), Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared M. Schmitz (Missouri), Marine Corps Lance Corporal Rylee J. McCollum (Wyoming), Marine Corps Lance Corporal Dylan R. Merola (California), and Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui (California).
Several sectors are also calling on Biden to step down for abandoning billions-worth of US military equipment in Afghanistan that are now in the hands of Taliban — as well as for leaving Americans still stranded in the now fully-controlled Taliban country.
Democrats block vote to recover US military gears
Democrats are also said to have blocked efforts by Republicans to vote to require the Biden administration to recover the military equipment it left in Afghanistan.
“Democrats just blocked a vote to require a plan from President Biden to bring Americans home and to account for all the military equipment he left behind,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (California) said.
“Republicans will not stop until every American is home safely,” he added.
BREAKING → Democrats just blocked a vote to require a plan from President Biden to bring Americans home and to account for all the military equipment he left behind.
Republicans will not stop until every American is home safely. https://t.co/lM5tMpQz3D
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 31, 2021
Despite this, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member James Comer (Kentucky) pushed forward to request a briefing from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction on the fatal evacuation (SIGAR).
“Committee Republicans invited the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction to brief Congress today, and I appreciate his willingness to come forward and his commitment to testify before the full Committee in the coming weeks,” Comer said in a statement.
He added: “Between the botched withdrawal, the Biden Administration choosing to leave Americans behind the likelihood American military equipment and taxpayer dollars now reside in Taliban or terrorist hands, Afghan President Ghani fleeing the country with more than $169 million, and the deaths of 13 US servicemen and women, the situation in Afghanistan is dismal and heart wrenching.”
“This is unacceptable,” Comer further said. “Republicans will continue to take all actions possible to investigate what went wrong and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”
The House Oversight Committee wants full transparency from the Biden administration about the pullout from Afghanistan, including the billions of dollars worth of military equipment now is in the hands of the Taliban, Rep. James Comer said on Newsmax. https://t.co/5qMj2pFfti
— Newsmax (@newsmax) August 24, 2021
Earlier, Comer also said Biden is showing “arrogance” by not taking responsibility for Afghanistan.
“He needs to be transparent with America. If there was an intelligence failure that led the Biden administration to think that the Afghan forces, who we trained for the past 19 years would actually fight back, then someone at the highest levels of the intelligence community needs to be fired,” Comer said.
“If it was a military breakdown, if the military advised against having air raids when the Taliban was advancing towards Kabul, then someone in the highest ranks of the military need to be held accountable.”
