Congressman Pappas on the Biden Administration’s handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“He should accept some of the blame because this situation developed on his watch. I believe that the policies which he has developed for withdrawing our troops and allies from Afghanistan did not consider the intelligence that the administration was receiving.”
In an interview with Chris Ryan, the Representative from the First Congressional District, Chris Pappas gives an assessment of the infrastructure bills being considered by the House of Representatives; criticizes the Biden Administration’s handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan; gives ways that we could convince the Taliban to extend the August 31st deadline for our departure from Afghanistan; and responds to President Biden’s declining approval ratings.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted, along party lines by a 220-212 margin, to consider by September 27th a $3.5 infrastructure bill, which mainly deals with social benefits or “human infrastructure” and the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill which passed the Senate, which deals with roads, bridges, and other traditional infrastructure projects.
Congressman Pappas, who voted to move this legislation along, discusses his opinions of the two infrastructure bills and predicts their chances of being passed into law.
The Congressman expects that the $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill will continue to get bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and will survive a possible backlash from the progressive wing of the Democrat Party.
The $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill, on the other hand, the Congressman feels that it needs more scrutiny. He wants to see how it will be funded, and he wants to know more details about what’s going to be in it.
Congressman Pappas was quite critical of the Biden Administration’s handling of our withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“He (Biden) should accept some of the blame because this situation developed on his watch. I believe that the policies which he has developed for withdrawing our troops and allies from Afghanistan did not consider the intelligence that the administration was receiving.”
The Congressman is certain that there will be a thorough investigation of the Afghan withdrawal which will call leaders to account. He commends the work being done by the armed forces and state department under extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Congressman Pappas says that he and other members of Congress consider President Biden’s insistence on holding to the August 31st deadline for withdrawal as being “unrealistic”.
If the Taliban insists on the August 31st deadline, Congressman Pappas believes that we should use military force or financial pressure to extend the deadline until all American citizens, troops, and our Afghan allies are extricated.
Recent UNH polls show that Joe Biden’s approval ratings have fallen precipitously—44% approve and 54% disapprove. Congressman Pappas believes that the President can still turn things around.
“These numbers tend to ebb and flow. The administration has an opportunity to make this right, to protect the lives of US servicemembers, our citizens, and allies in the region. If we continue to fight COVID 19 and all the other major issues of the day, the people will evaluate that in real time.”