Dear friends,
Over the past couple weeks, the media has kept in its spotlight our national security and the men and women in uniform who have or are currently fighting to protect our nation. As Ranking Member of Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), I have had the opportunity to weigh in on many of these important issues and I wanted to provide you a brief update on each:
Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan
As we have seen play out in the past week, Islamic militants have taken control of key cities in the north and west portions of Iraq. The militants are members of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and they are more radical, better organized, and better funded than the Sunni insurgents at the height of U.S. involvement in Iraq in 2007. Their ability to gain control as quickly as they have is a direct result of President Obama's foreign policy failure and his inability to secure a Status of Forces Agreement, which led to the premature removal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011.
As Iraq descends into chaos, my greatest concern is the leadership vacuum that has been created and is now being eagerly filled by Iran. Some national leaders have suggested the United States should work with Iran, but I believe that would be a horrible and historic mistake and can only serve to legitimize our enemy's military presence in Iraq. Instead the United States should provide the assistance the Iraqis need to effectively combat the growing terrorist threat, including logistics, training, intelligence, and foreign military sales. With these non-lethal resources and consideration of some small airstrikes, which Iraq has requested, I believe in the short-term we can help push back these radical militants without putting combat boots on the ground. In the long-term, Prime Minister Maliki must have a more inclusive political process and more inclusive security force structure or potentially be pushed aside for a leader that can make that happen.
When it comes to Afghanistan, I spoke with Gen. Joseph Dunford, our commander on the ground and commander of International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), last week and reiterated my strong support for the men and women serving courageously under his command. I also told him that I'm deeply concerned about the future of the mission in Afghanistan as the President is determined to get out of the country at any cost, regardless of how it undermines our national security. President Obama's plan will make Afghanistan at the end of 2016 look like Iraq at the end of 2011, condemning Afghanistan's future to Iraq's fate that we see today. This is unacceptable, and the safe haven for terrorists being created in Iraq, Syria, and soon Afghanistan, will soon bring terrorists to our doorstep.
The release of the "Taliban Dream Team"
Our nation has long honored a commitment to the men and women of our military that when they are sent into harm's way, they will never be left behind. For this reason, Americans should find solace in the fact that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is coming home after five years in captivity. However, these feelings should be tempered by the troubling questions that remain unanswered about the President's secret deal with the Taliban and using this as an opportunity to pursue his legacy of closing Guantanamo Bay. Furthermore, President Obama clearly failed to follow the law that requires him to notify Congress 30 days in advance of releasing Gitmo detainees.
The men at the center of this trade were no ordinary terrorists captured on the battlefield. Instead, by the Taliban's own statements, they were five of the most senior leaders the Taliban had to offer. Many are labeling them the "Taliban Dream Team," directly responsible for countless atrocities during the Taliban's brutal rule. They undoubtedly have the blood of American soldiers and Afghans on their hands.
Multiple reviews by the U.S. military of these detainees while at Guantanamo found that they were too dangerous to release. Today, according to press reports, these ruthless terrorists appear to be living quite well in Qatar and will eventually be able to return to Afghanistan. The Obama Administration has not provided details to the American people or Congress on what security guarantees are in place to stop these men from returning to the battlefield or to stop them from conducting attacks against the thousands of American servicemembers and diplomats who are currently serving in the region. AtTIME.com, I wrote about my concerns for the President's secret deal with the Taliban, and I hope you will take a moment to read it by clicking here.
As Congress continues with hearings on this topic, I will be vigilant in pursuing real answers about the President's decision to ignore the law and put Americans and our military members at greater risk.
Veterans' Access to Quality Health Care
On June 11, the Senate took an important step towards holding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) accountable to the quality and accessibility of health care services our nation's veterans deserve and have earned by passing S.2450, the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act. The legislation will enforce accountability and transparency by requiring the VA to publish online wait-time goals as well as quality of care and outcome measures for all facilities. It will also authorize the VA Secretary to remove any employee that falsifies wait times or quality of care data. Most importantly, the bill will give veterans the much-needed opportunity to seek care from non-VA providers for the next two years if the veteran is unable to be seen within wait-time goals or resides more than 40 miles from a VA facility. Beyond addressing alarming concerns regarding veterans' access to health care, this bill also expands job opportunities for veterans and expands access to affordable, higher education by allowing GI Bill recipients to receive instate tuition rates within three years of discharge.
I am overall pleased with this legislation other than the fact that at the last minute critical funding was removed for our Tulsa VA clinic. On June 6, I toured the Tulsa VA clinic and learned that without funding to seek a new building lease that will bring the facility up to federal regulations and also allow it to expand, the clinic will have to close its doors in 2020. As the House and Senate come together to work out the differences in their veterans' bills, I am working with those in leadership to ensure funding for the Tulsa VA clinic is reinstated when a final bill goes to the President's desk.
President Obama chooses Fort Sill to house illegal immigrants
In 2012, under President Obama's leadership, the Department of Homeland Security announced a program of deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA). DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who came here as children to request deferred prosecutorial action for a period of two years, which can be renewed. This is backdoor amnesty for an estimated 1.76 million illegals. Once again, the President has acted without Congressional approval, using prosecutorial discretion to implement policies he cannot pass through legislation. Even though they are not qualified, these children hear stories filled with half-truths and come looking for their own amnesty.
As a result, we are now seeing a crisis at our border of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally. Due to the influx, our government has to send them away from the border to be housed at military installations, including Fort Sill, which has already received 255 children and has been told to prepare to host up to 1,200 children for up to 120 days. However, the Administration has given no guarantee what will happen with the children next or that the number won't increase as the arrival of large numbers of unaccompanied alien children is expected to continue.
This is not just a humanitarian crisis, this President created a national security crisis too. In Sunday's Lawton Constitution, I wrote an op-ed on how America is a nation built on the principle of the rule of law, not the rule of man. It's time the President takes responsibility for the crisis at our border and sends a strong message that our immigration laws will be enforced. At the end of this week, I will be at Fort Sill touring the facilities that are housing the children. I have no doubt the Fort Sill and Lawton community will rise to the occasion to assist these children, but in the interim I am working with Congressman Tom Cole to press the Obama Administration for better answers of just how they plan to take care of these children and how their housing plans will impact our national security interests at Fort Sill.
Sincerely,
Jim Inhofe
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