Rockland Reporter

At a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Congressman Mike Lawler criticized Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his involvement in what he described as the Biden Administration's failed foreign policy. The focus was on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Lawler labeled as disastrous.

Lawler questioned Blinken about his familiarity with a report on the withdrawal, to which Blinken responded that he had only read the executive summary. Lawler urged Blinken to read the full report, emphasizing its significance to his legacy.

"Mister Secretary, have you read this report in full?" asked Lawler. Blinken replied, "I have read the executive summary of the report. I haven’t read the entire report yet."

Lawler went on to outline various issues he attributed to the administration's foreign policy decisions. He cited events such as "the Russian invasion of Ukraine," "the terrorist attack on Israel," and "the illicit oil trade between China and Iran." He claimed these actions were funding terror networks like Hamas and Hezbollah.

He further criticized how policies from previous administrations were handled: "This administration had no problem reversing policy decisions that it disagreed with President Trump on."

Lawler held both President Joe Biden and Secretary Blinken accountable for decisions made during their terms. When asked who was president and secretary of state on August 26, 2021, both confirmed their respective roles at that time.

The congressman also pointed out unmet legislative requirements like filling positions related to international agreements: "This Congress has passed the SHIP Act and the Abraham Accord special envoy. You didn’t fill the special envoy, and you didn’t enforce the SHIP Act."

In conclusion, Lawler accused Blinken of leaving global conditions worse than they were before taking office: "You leave the world worse off today than it was when you inherited it."