Providing for Consideration of H.R. John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; and Providing for Adoption of S. Con. Res. Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule.

For 4 months, Republicans have demanded to know the President's plan to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies and conduct counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. For 4 months, they have told us: ``We are working on it.''

Well, now it is clear they never had a plan. The President's abject failure to plan is endangering the lives of thousands of American civilians and our allies in Afghanistan.

Reports have been rolling in for over a week of Americans being assaulted or having to hide from Taliban thugs while they wait for a rescue. Afghan allies are being brutalized and killed by these terrorists as they desperately try to get inside the gates of the Kabul airport.

And that is just those lucky enough to be in Kabul. Thousands of Americans and Afghan allies are still stranded hundreds of miles away from Kabul with little hope of rescue.

Now comes an ultimatum from the terrorists that if our forces don't withdraw by next Tuesday, they will start shooting.

What is the response from the majority? Well, Speaker Pelosi brought us back to Washington, but not to deal with this dire situation in Afghanistan. No, we are here today to vote on a partisan, $4 trillion giveaway to the radical left; a bill that doesn't include a single dollar to rescue Americans or our allies from Afghanistan or even a single penny on national security.

I have to wonder what the majority is thinking. Instead of this partisan exercise, I urge the majority to work with us to hold the President accountable and save Americans and allies still in Afghanistan.

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