Boozman, Colleagues Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Strengthen Oversight over Afghanistan Withdrawal & Aftermath

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-ID) in introducing the Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act, legislation to address the outstanding issues related to the Biden administration's rushed and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"We must hold the Biden administration accountable for its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. This foreign policy failure has resulted in a humanitarian disaster, but this all could have been avoided," Boozman said. "This legislation provides the oversight tools to ensure all Americans are successfully evacuated and our allies in Afghanistan are brought to safety while developing a strategy to protect our interests against potential violence perpetrated by the Taliban and its supporters."

In addition to Boozman, cosponsors of the legislation include Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Rob Portman (R-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Thune (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Richard Burr (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

The Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act:

• Establishes a State Department task force to focus on the evacuation of American citizens, legal permanent residents and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) who are still stuck in Afghanistan.
• Imposes oversight mechanisms on the processing of SIVs and refugees.
• Requires strategies for counterterrorism and for the disposition of Taliban-captured U.S. equipment.
• Sanctions the Taliban and others in Afghanistan for terrorism, drug-trafficking and human rights abuses.
• Authorizes sanctions on those providing support to the Taliban, including foreign governments.
• States that the United States should not recognize any member of the Taliban as the ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States or as the ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations.
• Calls for a comprehensive review of foreign assistance to entities that support the Taliban.
• Places restrictions on non-humanitarian foreign assistance to Afghanistan.

Text of the legislation can be found here.