George W. Bush Calls on Biden to Cut the ‘Red Tape’ and Accept Afghan Refugees: He ‘Has Promised’
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The president who got the United States into Afghanistan 20 years ago is making an appeal to the president who is getting the U.S. out.
In a statement jointly issued with his wife Laura Bush, former President George W. Bush called on President Joe Biden to help Afghan refugees who have aided the U.S. to get out of the country safely and to bypass any bureaucratic roadblocks in order to bring them to America.
“The Afghans now at greatest risk are the same ones who have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation,” Bush said. “President Biden has promised to evacuate these Afghans, along with American citizens and our allies. The United States government has the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay.”
Bush also delivered his larger take on the unfolding crisis — expressing sympathy for the Afghan people, as well as U.S. service members and NATO allies.
“Laura and I have been watching the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan with deep sadness,” he said. “Our hearts are heavy for both the Afghan people who have suffered so much and for the Americans and NATO allies who have sacrificed so much.”
Read the full statement below, via NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell:
