Ensuring Accountability for the Disastrous Afghanistan Withdrawal
By Congressman Randy Weber
Texas Insider Report: (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Last week, the House of Representatives passed my bill, the "Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act," which will strengthen public-private partnerships and improve Federal research, development, and demonstration related to the evolution of key pipeline systems across the country. As our nation’s infrastructure is rapidly aging, this legislation ensures pipelines are modern, secure, and cost effective, ready to take on our growing energy needs.
The success of these systems and new infrastructure technologies will be essential to our international competitiveness, national security, energy independence, and beyond.
Pipeline infrastructure is not only vital to Southeast Texas but also crucial to the prosperity of our entire nation. It remains the safest, most reliable, and efficient method for transporting the fuel that heats our homes, powers our vehicles, and drives our economy. As we continue to expand our energy resources, it's imperative that we invest in research and development to ensure our pipelines operate at peak efficiency, fostering both innovation and growth.
I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the bipartisan support that takes us one step closer to ensuring our pipelines are modernized to meet the demands of the future.
Highlights of H.R 7073 include:
- Authorizing the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Secretary of Interior, and others, to establish a demonstration initiative and joint research and development program for low-to mid-technology readiness level research projects to achieve deployment.
- Creating a National Pipeline Modernization Center at the Department of Energy, which will foster collaboration with industry and stakeholders to commercialize cost-effective products and procedures.
- Conducting a program at NIST of measurement research, development, demonstration, and standardization to ensure the integrity of pipeline facilities and ensure their safety, security, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience.
In 2020, President Trump negotiated a plan for a peaceful and strategic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan that would not put our servicemembers at risk. This plan was called “The Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” or the Doha Agreement. This plan was conditional, with the requirements that the Taliban cease its terrorist activities, renounce associations with al Qaeda, minimize violence, establish a ceasefire, and engage in negotiations with Afghanistan’s government.
When the Biden-Harris Administration took office, however, they decided to disregard the Doha Agreement, ignore obvious risks and security concerns, and hastily withdraw U.S. forces without an adequate plan – putting their power and popularity over the lives of our men and women in service and our partners in the region. Because of this reckless decision-making, we tragically lost 13 U.S. servicemembers, and another 45 servicemembers were injured in the Abbey Gate terrorist attacks on August 26, 2021. Additionally, billions of dollars of America’s most technologically advanced military weapons were left behind for the Taliban to collect as they took back control of Afghanistan.
Despite this tragic loss of life, the Gold Star families of the fallen service members and the American people have yet to see one senior official lose their job or be held responsible for their part in one of the most catastrophic failures in American foreign policy history. House Republicans passed legislation to hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for their catastrophic failures throughout the Afghanistan withdrawal.
This week, the House of Representatives passed H.Res. 1469, which ensures the parties responsible for decision-making and execution failures in the disastrous Biden-Harris Afghanistan withdrawal are held accountable and condemns key figures and officials in the Biden-Harris Administration, including:
- President Biden
- Vice President Harris
- National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
- National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby
- State Department Secretary Antony Blinken,
- and others.
Congressman Randy Weber represents the 14th District of Texas, which includes Freeport LNG, Golden Pass LNG, and Port Arthur LNG. He serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has the broadest jurisdiction of any legislative committee in Congress, as well as on the House Science Space & Technology Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy's, and the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) Energy Research & Development Programs, including all Environmental Standards and Research Programs.
