Congressman Pfluger Demands Release of Biden/Ghani Call Transcript
Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) joined a group of lawmakers in sending a letter to President Joe Biden demanding an immediate release of the complete, uncensored transcript of his phone call with former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani after reports emerged this week that President Biden pressured Ghani into downplaying the threat posed by the Taliban just three weeks before the terrorist group took control of the country. Full text of the letter can be found here or below.
Dear President Biden:
The last several weeks have been a difficult time as Americans and the world question our nation’s leadership and credibility. Under your direction as Commander in Chief, the withdrawal of American troops and interests from Afghanistan was chaotic and deadly. Our nation watched scenes of the hurried retreat, including helicopter airlifts from the U.S. embassy in Kabul, in disbelief and mourned together as 13 servicemembers were killed by terrorists. While the last American servicemember has departed from Afghanistan, untold hundreds of American citizens and billions of dollars in military hardware remain behind in the Taliban controlled nation.
In the period leading up to the withdrawal, your administration made a series of false assurances to the American people and our allies regarding the situation on the ground. The contrast between your Administration’s official spin and the reality on the ground revealed a bewildering lack of coherence, strategy, and fundamental transparency. It appeared repeatedly as if your Administration was engaging in a deliberate effort to conceal the truth and mislead the American public. On August 31, new evidence emerged that suggests this is exactly what you have been doing since the start of this operation. A troubling new revelation arose that demands immediate explanation. Reuters released excerpts from a July 23 conversation between yourself and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in which you reportedly pressure Ghani to “project a different picture” than the reality on the ground “whether it is true or not.” The transcripts also indicate that you promised to provide air support to the Afghan military, a vow you never fulfilled. This damning phone call further
This damning phone call further erodes your credibility and the confidence of the American people in your ability to lead. Your disturbing emphasis on “perception,” a term you used four times in the Reuters excerpts of the call with Ghani, over substance and truth demands scrutiny and accountability. We hereby request that you make the full, unedited and unredacted transcripts of your July 23 conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani public so Congress can determine the degree to which you may have deliberately misled the American people leading up to and during this disastrously executed operation. You must provide a more fulsome picture of the events that led to the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Congress has a duty to oversee the Executive. The American people deserve answers and clarity. We urge that your administration expeditiously releases the full transcripts of the call.
Sincerely - August Pfluger
Pfluger Urges Governor Abbott to Push Back Against Biden’s Tyrannical COVID-19 Orders
Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) joined members of the Texas delegation in urging Governor Greg Abbott to take any necessary action to push back against President Biden’s tyrannical COVID-19 vaccination mandate. Last week, President Biden ordered private companies with more than 100 employees to require COVID-19 vaccinations.
“President Biden’s vaccination mandates are a flagrant overreach of his Presidential power,” said Congressman Pfluger. “While I am supportive of the vaccine and am vaccinated myself, I believe that American citizens have an inalienable, unnegotiable right to choose for themselves. These choices sometimes do come with risk, but the Constitution grants individuals the personal liberty to decide what is best for them and their family. For President Biden to institute a blanketed, far-reaching mandate, regardless of any concerns or questions they may have, is deeply troubling and will only stoke further vaccine hesitancy and division. Texas Republicans are urging the Governor to utilize any power or tools at his disposal to prevent the government from trying to interject in deeply personal decisions.”
Pfluger: Don’t Bring More Nuclear Waste to Andrews
Tuesday, September 14th, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) released a statement condemning the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision to license a new nuclear waste storage site in Andrews, Texas:
“The decision handed down by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license a new nuclear waste storage site in Andrews is a massive blunder. This disappointing announcement failed to consider the lack of community support for the project – a vitally important aspect of siting nuclear waste laid out by the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future. The majority of folks who live and work in this community are vehemently opposed to this waste being stored in Andrews, and not a single elected official supports this decision. In fact, the NRC received over 10,000 responses to their public comment period, and the majority of them were against the site. I have been and will remain vocal in my opposition. I urge the NRC to reverse course.”
Pfluger: The Border Crisis in Del Rio is Worse Than You Can Imagine
Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) went to Del Rio, TX to conduct oversight on the migrant-influx happening at the international port of entry. There are nearly 15,000 migrants gathered in the small Texas border community with hundreds more gathering every hour. While there, Congressman Pfluger met with Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano, Sherriff Joe Frank Martinez of Val Verde County, state and local law enforcement, and Border Patrol agents.
“I spent the day in Del Rio, TX with local and state leaders and law enforcement—what I heard, and what I saw, was absolutely devastating,” said Congressman August Pfluger. “The situation has reached a boiling point. When I arrived, there were nearly 15,000 migrants gathered at the port of entry with hundreds more gathering every hour—up from 12,000 just the day before. Most were military aged males between the ages of 18 to 35. I spoke to migrants from 6-7 countries including Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras, and more. What they told me is our border is easier to get through than the borders of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. That is an absolute disgrace. This is the United States of America, a country of law and order. We were are seeing the complete opposite of that. ”
“The folks on the ground deserve outstanding praise. They are doing a tremendous job of dealing with the hand they were dealt—but where is the Biden Administration? Why are they not backing them up and giving them the tools they need to do their jobs? Border communities are suffering. Del Rio is crippling—what’s happening to their community underscores the real human cost to President Biden’s weak border policies. It is a tragedy, and it is completely preventable. President Biden must send the message that the U.S. border is closed. It is past time to reinstate President Trump’s border policies and get our border secured once and for all.”