Democratic Congressman Pleads With Biden to Get Refugees Out of Kabul: I’ve Been Asking for This Commitment ‘For Months Now’

On CNN Newsroom on Wednesday, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) pleaded with the Biden administration to evacuate Afghans who helped the United States during the almost-20-year war in Afghanistan, saying that “this is a commitment” he has “been asking them to make for months now.”

Moulton’s plea comes as the Taliban has taken over Kabul, causing people to flee for the airport in the Afghan capital.

“How imperative do you think it is that the Biden administration publicly commit to keeping those operations going at the airport past August 31st, if necessary, to get everyone out that wants to leave,” asked co-host Poppy Harlow, referring to the deadline to get all U.S. forces out of Afghanistan.

“It’s absolutely imperative. They must make that commitment, and they must follow through,” replied Moulton. “And this is a commitment I’ve been asking them to make for months now when I told them to start the evacuation before we get to a point like this.”

When asked if the White House and State Department were heeding his call to evacuate the Afghans before dealing with paperwork, Moulton said “essentially no.”

“They’re moving in that direction. They talk about how many people they can evacuate per hour on planes,” he continued. “But if people can’t simply get into the airport – even green-card-holding people – like you saw on TV, then very quickly we’ll get the people out who are at the airport right now. But there will be tens of thousands who are stuck outside that wire under the Taliban’s control.”

Moulton added that he “refuse[s] to believe” and is “certainly not going to agree with” an assessment that Afghans who helped the United States will be abandoned at the end of the month.

Watch above, via CNN.

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