Tennessee lawmaker calls for U.S. Senate hearings on American withdrawal from Afghanistan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Tennessee's United States Senator Marsha Blackburn is calling for U.S. Senate hearings on the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. She believes, "We owe it to our nation."

Senator Blackburn (R-Tenn.) along with Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) are urging Senate Armed Service Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to hold the hearings. Blackburn has requested to hear sworn testimony on the withdrawal from senior military leaders includingSecretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Commander of U.S. Central Command General Frank McKenzie, Jr., and the final commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, General A. Scott Miller.

“The American people, and in particular many of those who serve our country in uniform, are hurting, angry, and disappointed. We owe them a clear and comprehensive understanding of what happened, why, and how best to learn from these events for the future," the senators wrote in a letter to Chairman Reed.

Later adding: “We owe it to our nation, those who served, their families, and our allies and partners who fought alongside us, to preserve the records of how our fight in Afghanistan concluded. The insights we gather will help prevent future loss of American blood and treasure, a solemn responsibility and sacred trust we believe all members of our committee will seek to uphold."

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) also signed onto the letter.

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Senator Blackburn says the hearing request gives a voice to "millions of Americans demanding hearings on the disastrous withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan."

The letter comes after13 U.S. service members were killed in an attack outside the Kabul airport. Soon after the attack,President Biden met privately with loved ones of those who died.

"The 13 service members that we lost were heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our highest American ideals and while saving the lives of others,” President Biden said.

Of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the attack, 11 were Marines, one was an Army soldier from Tennessee and one was a Navy sailor.

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