House Republicans in Washington voted to pass a resolution condemning President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The resolution held no legal weight but was a symbolic gesture ahead of the upcoming November elections. It passed with a vote of 219 – 194, with bipartisan 10 Democrats joining all Republicans in favor. The resolution criticized Biden, Harris, and other administration officials for what it termed as “decision-making and execution failures” during the Afghanistan withdrawal, blaming them for the deaths of 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport during the evacuation’s final days.

Former President Donald Trump, a Republican candidate for the presidency, has repeatedly pointed fingers at Vice President Harris for the disorderly and deadly evacuation while she was serving as Biden’s vice president. Harris, now Democratic presidential candidate, has defended herself by placing blame on Trump for his role in negotiating the withdrawal deal and expressing her support for Biden’s decision to end the lengthy war in Afghanistan. Using their majority in the House, Republicans have been advocating Trump’s perspective, releasing reports mainly blaming Biden for the situation. The House Foreign Affairs Committee also progressed with contempt of Congress charges against Secretary of State Antony Blinken following tensions over his testimony on the withdrawal.

Representative Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, criticized the Biden-Harris administration on the House floor, highlighting the loss of 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians during the withdrawal. Various assessments have concluded that both Trump and Biden share responsibility for the collapse that led to the Taliban reclaiming control of Afghanistan before the final American troops left Kabul. More than 2,000 U.S. troops lost their lives during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. Reports, including an 18-month House investigation led by Republicans, did not find any specific instance where Vice President Harris significantly influenced the decision-making during the withdrawal.

The primary U.S. government watchdog for the war pointed to Trump’s 2020 agreement with the Taliban to withdraw all U.S. forces as the key factor in the Afghan security forces’ collapse and the Taliban’s resurgence. Biden’s subsequent decision to proceed with the withdrawal started by Trump was highlighted as the second significant factor by the watchdog. Democrats criticized Republicans for rushing the resolution to the House floor and accused them of further politicizing the blame game concerning the withdrawal. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that Republicans’ efforts were aimed at covering up the flawed record of their candidate, referring to Trump’s involvement in the withdrawal.