Steve Scalise Complains About Afghanistan After Democrats Pass Budget Blueprint

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:38 pm

Representative Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House Minority Whip, criticized President Joe Biden after the House of Representatives passed a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint that will expand the social safety net and climate programs.

Although Biden is not directly responsible for passing legislation––that duty falls to Congress––Scalise is of the opinion that the President can’t support a spending bill championed by the Democrats while also continuing to keep his eyes on the ever-evolving security situation in Kabul.

“I think what was the most disgraceful thing about this week, in addition to the president of the United States cowering to a terrorist organization the Taliban, getting — going off on their timeline instead of saying we’re getting every single American out,” Scalise said.

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

“There are thousands of Americans that President Biden stranded behind enemy lines and instead of spending every minute working to get them out, he put a shot clock on them saying there’s only seven days left to get all Americans out,” he added.

Scalise went on to say that Biden “was wasting precious time this week, burning the phones up, pressuring Democrats to vote for a $5 trillion spending bill and tax bill.

“That’s what he was wasting time on. Every minute of his day should be getting all Americans out. Because we’re going to look back after the timeline that shouldn’t be in place is passed and we’re going to know that there are Americans still behind enemy lines and he wasted time just trying to pressure to get a tax and spend bill passed through Congress this week instead of trying to get every American out, which is his main responsibility,” he said. “That’s the oath he took.”

Scalise has been criticized by people who’ve noted that the duties of Congress and the executive branch are separate.

Earlier this week, the White House announced that since August 14, the day before Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, “the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 37,000 people.”

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.