Pelosi reminds lawmakers not to travel to Afghanistan

By Alex Rogers, CNN

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi again urged members of Congress to not visit Afghanistan or neighboring countries after at least 12 US service members and dozens of civilians were killed on Thursday, noting that the Departments of Defense and State have “explicitly stated” that such trips would “unnecessarily divert needed resources” from evacuating Americans and Afghan allies.

“It should be clear that any Member presence presents a danger and an opportunity cost of resources, regardless of whatever value that Members consider they may add by such trips,” the California Democrat said in a letter to lawmakers.

Pelosi’s letter came a few days after Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Meijer and Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton went on an unauthorized trip to Kabul’s airport, where they said they wanted to conduct oversight of the evacuation.

Their colleagues and the Biden administration criticized the effort as dangerous and a strain on the military as it feverishly works to comply by the administration’s August 31 deadline for the US to complete its withdrawal.

Pelosi said in her letter Thursday that more than 100,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the end of July and that Congress “must and will continue to be briefed” by the administration about its efforts. She added that she and other congressional leaders were briefed by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday and that Congress “remains deeply concerned about the security and humanitarian situation.”

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