02.17.22

Hoeven Joins Thune Legislation to Hold Administration Accountable for Taliban Takeover of U.S. Military Equipment

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven joined Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) today in introducing legislation that requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress any time it is determined that U.S. military equipment abandoned in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria is used in a terrorist attack against the United States or its allies. This bill would require notification of any known details related to the equipment used in the attack; the date on which, and the location from which, the equipment left U.S. custody; attribution for the orchestrators of the attack; and the total number of deaths and casualties caused by the attack.

“This legislation is important because we still need answers about the rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, and we need to account for the U.S. military equipment that was left behind during the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan last year,” said Hoeven. “We’ll continue pressing the administration for answers.” 

In addition to Hoeven and Thune, this legislation is cosponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

Click here for the full text of the legislation.  

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