[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6181-H6182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AFGHANISTAN AFTERMATH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, the President hasn't mentioned 
Afghanistan since he turned the phased, conditional withdrawal under 
Trump into an unconditional surrender to the Taliban. Nor has he yet 
found the time to see, much less admit, the chaos that his policies 
have produced by collapsing our southern border.
  Yet, putting these things out of sight and mind doesn't change the 
dangers they have unleashed. I am afraid that together, they pose a 
terrifying prospect for our country that Americans should prepare 
themselves to face in coming days.
  Trump's phased withdrawal included keeping Bagram Air Base. This 
strategic American asset ensured that U.S. airpower could be projected 
throughout the region as both a bulwark to support the Afghan defense 
forces and a deterrent to the extremist regimes throughout the Middle 
East. In addition, Bagram included the Parwan Detention Facility that 
held, under Afghan control, between 5,000 and 7,000 hardened 
terrorists.
  Instead, Mr. Biden ordered--and his woke generals executed--a 
surprise abandonment of Bagram in the dead of night without even 
notifying our allies. It took the Afghan Government by complete 
surprise and set off a shockwave that resulted in the rapid collapse of 
Afghan forces. In turn, this meant not only the loss of billions of 
dollars of U.S. military equipment to the very forces that attacked us 
on 9/11, but also the release of the most dangerous terrorists in the 
world.
  Now, we know where one of those terrorists went. Ten days later, 
Abdul Rehman detonated a bomb at the airport in Kabul, killing 13 of 
our servicemen and -women, including a constituent of mine, Sergeant 
Nicole Gee of Roseville, California.
  That is what one of them did. We still don't know where the thousands 
of other terrorists released from Bagram are or the plans they are 
pursuing.
  I think it is a very good bet that more than a few of them are making 
their way right now to our open southern border. We know the Border 
Patrol has intercepted a number of known terrorists already. The 
Government of Panama told Congressman Gonzales from Texas that it 
intercepted 52 known terrorists with intent to make their way into the 
United States and tried in vain to warn the Biden administration.
  What we don't know is how many have already infiltrated our country 
among the tens of thousands admitted by the Biden administration since 
the surrender of Bagram. We don't know how many more are among the 
gotaways who escaped the Border Patrol while it has been overwhelmed 
processing the masses who responded to Biden's open border invitation. 
Nor do we know how many radicalized Taliban or ISIS-K are among the 
nearly 100,000 evacuees being admitted into the United States from 
Afghanistan.
  The Homeland Security Secretary, Mr. Mayorkas, informed us that it is 
not necessary for them to show that they assisted U.S. forces, but only 
that we don't know of any hostile actions that they have committed. In 
other words, if we don't know who they are or what they plan, that is 
sufficient for permanent residence in the United States.
  Americans should brace themselves for what is surely coming. If these 
terrorists, unleashed because of the President's policy in Afghanistan, 
are able to make their way into our country because of the President's 
immigration policy, I am afraid that the price paid by innocent 
Americans will be horrendous. The mass bombings we read about in other 
countries may soon arrive on our shores, and if they do, the 
responsibility will rest squarely with the President, his 
administration, and his apologists in both public office and the press.
  On October 14, I requested Mr. Mayorkas to provide the number of 
foreign nationals encountered on our southern border by nationality, 
the number that were in the Terrorist Screening Database, and whether 
any were imprisoned at Bagram Air Base. As of this date, we have 
received no response.

[[Page H6182]]

  Mr. President, wake up. This terror is coming. For all we know, it is 
already on its way. For all we know, it is already here. For God's 
sake, secure our border, start enforcing our immigration laws, fully 
vet any asylum claims or refugees before they are admitted into our 
country. Or else, be prepared to bear the full condemnation of history 
for the terrors you will have set in motion against your country and 
your countrymen, betraying the highest trust in the land.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.

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