Katko: President Biden’s Massive Foreign Policy Blunder Has Jeopardized Our Homeland Security

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement on President Biden’s address to the nation on the failure of his U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resulting in the collapse of the country into Taliban control.

“President Biden delivered the most tone-deaf national security address in recent memory. As Americans watch the gut-wrenching visuals out of Afghanistan, President Biden proudly stood by his disastrous decision to abandon the Afghan people who fought side by side with U.S. troops, while casting blame on everyone except himself. The botched and rushed draw-down risks a terrorist safe haven and poses a real risk to the homeland from foreign terrorism.

“While he tried to gaslight the American people, President Biden did not once mention how he or his administration will address the impending threat a terrorist safe haven will have on our homeland. As we speak, unprecedented numbers of known or suspected terrorists are exploiting the border crisis and entering our country looking to do us harm. Furthermore, the very governmental agency tasked with tracking foreign terrorist travel is overwhelmed processing the record-breaking number of migrants entering our country at President Biden’s encouragement. Reckless policies have dire consequences. President Biden’s botched foreign policy agenda and open border policies have created a perfect storm that will put impending threats at the doorstep of our homeland just weeks away from the anniversary of September 11th.

“Many questions remain around the lack of strategy and planning, failure of intelligence, and who ordered the abandonment of the Bagram Air Base. As Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I will not stop until we get the information the American people deserve. Now more than before, we must remain vigilant on the homeland security front. With three weeks until the 20th anniversary of September 11th, the Taliban is in full control of Afghanistan and can once again create a safe haven for terrorism—the type of breeding ground that we previously vowed to ‘never forget.’ This is a complete gut-punch to our troops and their families, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“As we’ve seen over and over again, President Biden would rather cast blame than take responsibility or offer any real solutions. What’s almost as disappointing is that he couldn’t deliver this address fast enough to return to his vacation. This is simply unacceptable behavior for the leader of the free world.”