Defense bill provision seeks to hold Biden accountable on Afghanistan

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The House version 2022 National Defense Authorization Act includes a provision designed to hold the Biden administration accountable for the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this year.

"President Biden’s reckless Afghanistan evacuation allowed the Taliban to release thousands of known terrorists from prisons in Afghanistan," Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who introduced the amendment to the legislation, said in a statement. "As of now, we have no idea where they went and what risks they pose to American citizens. My resolution requires DHS to conduct a full terror threat assessment on each prisoner to protect the safety and security of our homeland. It is one step in holding President Biden and his administration accountable for their failures in Afghanistan."

President Biden. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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The amendment requires the Secretary of Defense, along with the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Homeland Security, to conduct a threat assessment posed to the United States by prisoners released from two detention facilities in Afghanistan that housed ISIS and al-Qaida fighters.

The secretary of defense will have 60 days following the NDAA being signed into law to compile the report, which will then be due annually until 2026.
 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The amendment also calls for an assessment of the "quantity and type" of American military equipment that was abandoned in Afghanistan and whether there is a plan in place to "leave, recover, or destroy" the equipment.

The annual NDAA passed the House Tuesday, with the lower chamber's version of the bill authorizing $770 billion in funding for the Department of Defense.

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Taliban soldiers stand guard in Panjshir province northeastern of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Mohammad Asif Khan) (AP Photo/Mohammad Asif Khan)

The bill passed with bipartisan support on a final vote of 363-70, with 169 Democrats and 194 Republicans voting for it 51 Democrats and 19 Republicans voting no.

The NDAA will now have to go to the Senate to be approved before going to President Biden's desk for a signature.