House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly refused to comment on the crisis in Afghanistan at a pre-planned event in San Francisco Thur...
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly refused to comment on the crisis in Afghanistan at a pre-planned event in San Francisco Thursday and fled after it was over while reporters followed.
The California Democrat was speaking at an event to mark Women's Equality Day on August 26, joined by other women leaders including San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
She was asked afterwards to comment on Afghanistan after two confirmed explosions killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 members of the US military.
'I put out a statement,' she said to reporters 'who chased her as she left,' according to CBS journalist Ed O'Keefe.
Pelosi's statement on Afghanistan also came on Thursday afternoon, after intense criticism over her silence on the matter.
'The United States House of Representatives strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack outside Kabul airport. We mourn the loss of every innocent life taken, and we join every American in heartbreak over the deaths of the servicemembers killed,' Pelosi wrote.
On the day of the explosions Pelosi is speaking at a Women's Equality Day event in San Francisco. She released a statement on Kabul on Thursday afternoon
She didn't answer reporters' questions on Afghanistan after the event
'As we work with the Biden Administration to bring stability to the situation, Congress must continue to be kept closely informed, which is why I have requested that the Executive Branch continue to brief Members. At the same time, our Committees of Jurisdiction will continue to hold briefings on Afghanistan,' Pelosi wrote.
She and other congressional leaders were briefed on the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today, according to a letter she sent to her colleagues in the House.
However her statement makes no mention of bringing the entire House back from recess early, as House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy urges her to call lawmakers in Congress's lower house back into session before President Joe Biden's August 31 deadline for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Democrat-controlled House returned briefly earlier this week and advanced Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure agenda and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Both votes fell on party lines.
But now McCarthy is demanding the House pass a bill to get every American out of Afghanistan after Biden's decision to stick to the August 31 date drew outrage and despair from lawmakers, activists and international allies.
In his statement on Twitter McCarthy writes, 'Horrific. Our enemies have taken advantage of the chaotic nature of Biden's withdrawal,' seemingly referencing the deadly blasts.
'Speaker Pelosi must bring Congress back before Aug 31 so we can be briefed thoroughly by the Administration and prohibit the withdrawal of our troops until every American is safely out.'
GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy took to Twitter demanding Speaker Nancy Pelosi call the House back into session before President Joe Biden's August 31 deadline for a full troop withdrawal
A view of injured people and dead bodies after an explosion near the Hamid Karzai International Airport
McCarthy blasted Biden on Twitter and demanded Pelosi bring the House back, prompting a response from Pelosi's Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill
Pelosi's Deputy Chief of Staff hit back at McCarthy on Twitter, writing: 'Right now, American heroes are risking & giving their lives to execute an extraordinarily dangerous evacuation, & the Minority Leader wants to defund the mission & tie the Commander in Chief’s hands in the middle of the most dangerous days of the operation.'
'What’s not going to help evacuate American citizens is more empty stunts & distraction from the Minority Leader who sat idly by as Pres. Trump proudly negotiated with the Taliban. The Biden Administration has repeatedly briefed the Congress & providing frequent updates each day.'
Congress is normally on summer recess for the month of August, when lawmakers are meant to spend time connecting with constituents in their home districts.
Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw, an Afghanistan veteran, supported McCarthy's demand
A full withdrawal on August 31 would likely strand thousands of Afghans and even some American citizens in the Taliban-controlled country. There were up to 1,500 Americans in Afghanistan looking to leave as of Wednesday.
The Pentagon denied reports that the US was actually going to withdraw within 36 hours.
The denial was issued before the two attacks, which occurred on Thursday afternoon local time in Kabul.
One blast occurred near the Abbey Gate checkpoint at Hamid Karzai International Airport, where crowds of desperate people trying to flee were attempting to make their way past Taliban guards to foreign forces - many that claimed to have paperwork that would allow them safe passage.
Horrific scenes emerged out of Kabul after two separate explosions rocked the city
Volunteers and medical staff bring an injured man for treatment after the two powerful explosions
Injured people were seen carried to a hospital amid reports that as many as 60 people were killed in the blasts
But Taliban guards used violence to break up the mass of people, including a water cannon and reportedly even turned away citizens of Western nations, despite promising to let anyone but Afghan civilians through.
In addition to US service members, the Taliban told Reuters that many of its fighters were killed in the blast.
The second occurred near the Baron Hotel, where foreign nationals waiting to evacuate are staying.
While her staffers played defense, Pelosi drew outrage for posting on Twitter and releasing a formal statement on Women's Equality Day after the two confirmed blasts were reported.
One of her tweets also referenced Biden's massive infrastructure package.
Pelosi is speaking at a pre-planned event in San Francisco today where she and Mayor London Breed 'commemorate Women's Equality Day.'
She released her statement on Afghanistan Thursday afternoon after criticism over her silence.
She added that she requested the White House 'continue to brief Members' and said 'Committees of Jurisdiction' will continue to hold briefings on the crisis in Afghanistan.
But a slew of GOP lawmakers already balked at her silence before the statement.
'@SpeakerPelosi has tweeted about Biden's "Build Back Better" plan, but not a word about the growing loss of American lives in Afghanistan,' Rep. Jim Banks wrote on Twitter.
Rep. Dan Bishop wrote on the site: 'How is this read? There is an ongoing terrorist attack at the airport in Kabul. Marines and soldiers have died in service to our nation. Yet, Speaker Pelosi is tweeting about Biden's socialist wish list.'
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a military veteran who lost his eye in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, tweeted in support of McCarthy's demand to return the House to session.
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