The House voted to condemn several <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/biden-administration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Biden administration</a> officials for the United States’ withdrawal from <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/afghanistan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Afghanistan</a> in 2021 on Wednesday in the latest step from Republicans to push for accountability for the failures that led to 13 service members’ deaths.

House members voted 219 to 194 to condemn President <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/joe-biden/">Joe Bi</a><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/joe-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">d</a><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/joe-biden/">en</a>, Vice President <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/kamala-harris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Kamala Harris</a>, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, White House national security communications adviser John Kirby, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, among others.
All Republicans and 10 Democrats voted to hold the officials accountable for the preparation failures and department-level mistakes&nbsp;that led to the deaths of the 13 service members and nearly 200 Afghans.
Republicans have ramped up their messaging on the Afghanistan withdrawal after the third anniversary passed in August and as the 2024 election grows closer. With 41 days until the presidential race, the GOP has blasted the Biden-Harris administration for playing politics during the withdrawal that led the Taliban to retake the country.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3148636/watch-live-congressional-gold-medal-ceremony-troops-killed-us-afghanistan-withdrawal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">awarded</a> the 13 deceased service members’ families the Congressional Gold Medal on Sept. 10 for their sacrifice after they were killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate near Kabul’s airport.
Republicans are still moving forward with their investigations into the withdrawal. On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3164477/house-foreign-affairs-votes-hold-blinken-contempt-congress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">voted to advance a resolution</a> holding Blinken in contempt of Congress for not appearing before a hearing on the failures that led to the withdrawal.
<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a>
Blinken said he could not appear before the committee due to his secretary of state travel schedule, but the GOP argued he has been dodging accountability. Democrats have blasted Republicans and the committee’s lengthy report on the withdrawal as a political ploy right before an election.
Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that the contempt resolution will likely be brought up for a full House vote when the lawmakers return from a long recess after the November election.

The House voted to condemn Biden administration officials, including Joe Biden and Antony Blinken, for the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.{ai:summary}The House recently voted to condemn several Biden administration officials for the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, citing accountability for the deaths of 13 service members and nearly 200 Afghans. The vote passed with support from all Republicans and 10 Democrats.As the 2024 elections approach, Republicans are amplifying criticism of the administration's handling of the withdrawal. Investigations continue, with a contempt resolution for Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected for a full House vote post-election. #politics