After the Taliban completely took over Afghanistan, lawmakers are discussing the best measures to extract Americans still in the country while also discussing the threat to Democracy that the Taliban poses. Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R), a member of the Senate Intel Committee, slammed President Joe Biden (D), arguing that the President did not heed his warning to not pull American troops from the country. Now, Senator Rubio’s rival, Florida Rep. Val Demings (D), is commenting on the probable and potential threats of the Taliban, saying “it is imperative that our country remain vigilant.”
Earlier this week, Senator Rubio took to Twitter to slam the Biden Administration over its decision to recall American troops from Afghanistan. The decision has received widespread scrutiny from members of the GOP, and it has even led to calls for Biden to resign from office.
Rubio commented that “when the Biden Administration announced their Afghanistan pullout plan, several of us on the Intel Committee told them their predictions of what would happen next were complete fantasy.”
Though Democrats have not responded to Senator Rubio’s comments, Demings, who is challenging Rubio for his Senate seat in the upcoming midterm election, asserted this week that she will use her position “as a member of both the Homeland Security and Intelligence Committees to make sure our national security personnel have the resources and support their need to handle any emerging threat and protect our homeland.”
I will use my position as a member of both the Homeland Security and Intelligence Committees to make sure our national security personnel have the resources and support they need to handle any emerging threat and protect our homeland.
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) August 16, 2021
As the United States searches for a solution to retrieve American personnel still stuck in Afghanistan, Demings reaffirmed that the U.S. is committed to “ensuring the safety and security of our troops, diplomats, aid workers, and the many Afghans who served with us,” calling them “instrumental in supporting America and our allies.”
Our immediate priority must be ensuring the safety and security of our troops, diplomats, aid workers, and the many Afghans who served with us. They were instrumental in supporting America and our allies, and we need to do everything we can for them.
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) August 16, 2021
In contrast, Rubio continues to comment on the situation, adding that it could've been prevented and that "we are now witnessing how true our warnings" were to the Biden Administration.