Peter Meijer, who flew to Afghanistan this week, says Congress must reclaim battle powers authority

Congress must “reclaim its authority over battle powers” to keep away from one other disaster on the size of Thursday’s lethal Afghanistan terror assault, a Republican congressman stated Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan spoke out after not less than 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghans had been killed on the Kabul airport. 

“Tonight, I grieve with the households. Tomorrow, we work to do all the things we will to make sure no different household suffers a tragedy like this,” Meijer wrote on Twitter. 

“My coronary heart is totally damaged after at present’s horrific assault towards Marines at Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate. I wrestle to place collectively the best phrases realizing the ache that 13 households, and their fellow Marines, are going by way of tonight. No discuss can ease that struggling,” he wrote in one other tweet. 

PELOSI SLAMS REPS. MOULTON, MEIJER FOR ‘FREELANCE’ AFGHANISTAN TRIP: ‘DEADLY SERIOUS’

Pentagon officers stated 10 Marines, in addition to two Military troopers and one Navy corpsman, died within the assault.

Meijer stated the service members shouldn’t have been put in such a harmful scenario on the airport, blaming “President Biden’s reckless withdrawal” for giving them “no different selection.” 

Meijer was one among two congressmen who confronted bipartisan backlash for making an unauthorized journey to Afghanistan this week whereas the U.S. navy was frantically attempting to get Individuals and Afghan allies in another country amid the Taliban takeover. 

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., accompanied Meijer on the journey. Each males are navy veterans who served in Iraq. They stated they flew business to the United Arab Emirates after which took a airplane to Kabul to see what was happening on the bottom. They had been suggested to go away Kabul on a navy airplane however made certain they didn’t take a wanted seat, Meijer stated. 

U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., is seen in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Oct. 14, 2020. (Related Press)

U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi denounced the “secret” journey this week, telling reporters “we don’t need members to go.” She stated it may “unnecessarily divert wanted assets” within the nation. 

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., speaks in Las Vegas, Aug. 3, 2019. (Related Press)

Home GOP Chief Kevin McCarthy informed reporters the journey “creates a better danger” and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated their journey “definitely took time away from what we had been planning to do this day,” based on The New York Occasions. 

Meijer informed Fox Information’ Bret Baier the criticism was “frankly laughable.”

Afghans lie on beds at a hospital after they had been wounded within the lethal assaults exterior the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Related Press)

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He stated the Biden administration has performed all the things it might probably to “hinder the scenario to disclaim the fact and admittedly to cover info from the American folks.” 

Final yr, then-President Trump vetoed Congress’ Iran Warfare Powers Decision meant to curb government navy energy within the nation. 

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