{"id":39361,"date":"2021-08-25T01:30:36","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T01:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/08\/25\/two-congress-members-fly-to-kabul-infuriate-dod-white-house\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:19:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:19:24","slug":"two-congress-members-fly-to-kabul-infuriate-dod-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/08\/25\/two-congress-members-fly-to-kabul-infuriate-dod-white-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Congress members fly to Kabul, infuriate DoD, White House"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/atype-video-jwplayer>
Days after the capital of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, Military Times spoke to a former U.S. interpreter trapped in the city.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation<\/a> Tuesday, stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., flew in and out on charter aircraft and were on the ground at the Kabul airport for several hours. That led officials to complain that they could be taking seats that would have otherwise gone to other Americans or Afghans fleeing the country, but the congressmen said in a joint statement that they made sure to leave on a flight with empty seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Members of Congress, we have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch,\u2019\u201d the two said in their statement. \u201cWe conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two lawmakers are both military veterans, with backgrounds in the region. Moulton, a Marine who has been outspoken critic of the Iraq War, served multiple tours in Iraq. Meijer was deployed as part of the Army Reserves and later worked in Afghanistan at a nongovernmental organization providing aid. Both serve on the House Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three officials familiar with the flight said that State Department, Defense Department and White House officials were furious about the incident because it was done without coordination with diplomats or military commanders directing the evacuation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. military found out about the visit as the legislators\u2019 aircraft was inbound to Kabul, according to the officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\t