“It should be clear that any presence of a member represents a risk and opportunity cost for resources, regardless of what value members believe the members achieve through such travel,” said the California Democrat in a letter to lawmakers.
Pelosi’s letter came days after Republican Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan and Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts Has made an unauthorized trip to Kabul Airportwhere they said they wanted to oversee the evacuation.
Her colleagues and the Biden administration criticized the effort as dangerous and a burden on the military, who are feverishly working to meet the government’s August 31 deadline for completing the US withdrawal.
Pelosi said in her letter on Thursday that more than 100,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since late July and that Congress “must and will be informed by the government of its efforts.” She added that she and other congressional leaders were briefed Thursday by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and that Congress “remains deeply concerned about the security and humanitarian situation”.
