[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 149 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BIDEN ENDANGERS AMERICAN FAMILIES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, August 23, 2021

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, during my service in 
Congress, I have concluded over 500 one-minute speeches with ``God 
Bless our Troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global 
War on Terrorism.''
  This reaffirmed my appreciation of our military for keeping Americans 
safe for 20 years. The 2,312 U.S. military personnel killed and 20,666 
wounded in Afghanistan did not serve in vain. I know firsthand of the 
achievements of former S.C. Adjutant General Bob Livingston with the 
218th Brigade across Afghanistan. I am a grateful dad of an Afghanistan 
Veteran with First Lieutenant Hunter Wilson. But my hopes for 
remembering September 11th were misplaced. The conquest by the Taliban 
and Al Qaeda this past week confirms that the shocking lesson of 
September 11th has been forgotten: it is possible to conduct a 
terrorist attack on American families at home from a cave in 
Afghanistan abroad resulting in the mass murder of 2,977 innocent 
souls.
  General David Petraeus is sadly correct, the war is not over. It has 
moved. Now it is closer, putting American families at the greatest risk 
of a terrorist attack ever, with chants of ``Death to America, Death to 
Israel.''
  President Joe Biden undercut our Afghan allies on April 14th, 
removing air cover and intelligence reports against the advice of 
military leaders. Over 60,000 Afghan military and police have been 
killed fighting Taliban terrorists. Former Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a 
valued resource of experience in the Global War on Terrorism, correctly 
asserted that the situation is ``catastrophic.'' President Biden must 
change course immediately and accept military counsel or he will be 
further diminished as a personification of catastrophic failure in the 
horrific tradition of appeasement like Neville Chamberlain.
  In conclusion, God Bless our Troops and we should never forget 
September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.