{"id":2338701,"date":"2024-09-09T11:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T15:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schumer-and-jeffries-to-attend-medal-ceremony-for-13-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-09T12:06:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T16:06:43","slug":"schumer-and-jeffries-to-attend-medal-ceremony-for-13-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schumer-and-jeffries-to-attend-medal-ceremony-for-13-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Schumer and Jeffries to attend medal ceremony for 13 service members killed in Afghanistan &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschumer-and-jeffries-to-attend-medal-ceremony-for-13-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2338701&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senate Majority \u200cLeader\u200b Chuck \u2063Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem\u2063 Jeffries are set to attend a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring the \u206413 U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">service members<\/a> who lost their lives during\u2064 the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. This ceremony, taking place in\u200c the \u2063Capitol Rotunda, marks the first time high-ranking Democrats have met with the Gold Star families since President \u200bBiden&#8217;s \u2063attendance at a \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-joe-biden-attend-the-dignified-transfer-ceremony-at-dover-air-force-base\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Did Joe Biden Attend The Dignified Transfer Ceremony At Dover Air Force Base?\">dignified transfer ceremony<\/a> \u200bshortly after \u2063the tragic events.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063ceremony occurs\u2062 against a backdrop of Republican\u2063 scrutiny regarding the Biden\u2063 administration&#8217;s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which culminated in a suicide bombing at Kabul International Airport. This\u200d incident not only resulted in casualties but \u200balso left several individuals behind as the Taliban \u2064took control. Republicans have \u2062released \u2064a report \u2063blaming the administration for failing \u200cto adequately \u200dprepare \u2063for the situation&#8217;s collapse. The report suggests that the Biden administration prioritized\u200b public \u2063perception over security, while also trying to \u2064shift some responsibility away from former President Trump, who initially signed the withdrawal deal.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of \u200cthis \u200dceremony and the report&#8217;s\u2063 release highlights\u200b ongoing political tensions as lawmakers\u200d approach the\u2063 2024 elections, with Republicans aiming to connect Vice President Kamala Harris to the controversial decisions made\u200b during the \u2064withdrawal. the event serves as a\u200d solemn \u200brecognition of \u200cthe service\u200b members&#8217; sacrifices while igniting further debate on the implications\u200b of the withdrawal strategy employed by the current administration.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Schumer and Jeffries to attend medal ceremony for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pentagon-13-u-s-service-members-dead-in-kabul-airport-attack\/\" title=\"Pentagon: 13 U.S. service members dead in Kabul airport attack\">13 service members killed<\/a> in Afghanistan<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1748571\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will attend the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3140482\/trump-enlists-gold-star-families-to-hit-back-against-arlington-cemetery-criticism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony<\/a> on Tuesday honoring the 13 service members who died during the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3146525\/house-foreign-affairs-afghanistan-withdrawal-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"withdrawal from Afghanistan\">withdrawal from Afghanistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The pair&rsquo;s attendance makes them the two highest-ranking Democrats to meet with the Gold Star families since President Joe Biden attended a dignified transfer ceremony for the service members shortly after their deaths in 2021. The ceremony will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday and will be attended by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/3142321\/house-foreign-affairs-chairman-mccaul-subpoenas-blinken-afghanistan-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>families of the 13 service members<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The ceremony comes as Republicans look to highlight the Biden administration&rsquo;s role in the Afghanistan withdrawal that ended in a suicide bombing outside Kabul International Airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and left several others behind as the Taliban regained control.<\/p>\n<p>The ceremony also follows the long-awaited release of House Republicans&rsquo; report on their investigation into the withdrawal, which placed much of the blame on the Biden administration and minimized the role of former President Donald Trump, who initially signed the withdrawal deal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our investigation reveals the Biden-Harris administration had the information and opportunity to take necessary steps to plan for the inevitable collapse of the Afghan government, so we could safely evacuate U.S. personnel, American citizens, green card holders, and our brave Afghan allies,&rdquo; House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) <a href=\"https:\/\/foreignaffairs.house.gov\/press-release\/chairman-mccaul-releases-historic-comprehensive-report-on-biden-harris-administrations-afghanistan-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said in a statement<\/a>. &ldquo;At each step of the way, however, the administration picked optics over security.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The report did not provide much new information, but it concludes a yearslong investigation into the withdrawal that began when House Republicans were in the minority between 2021 and 2023. However, lawmakers worked quickly to release the report before the 2024 election, hoping to tie Vice President Kamala Harris to Biden&rsquo;s decisions as commander in chief. They argued that there was no evidence that she disagreed with his actions.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, the report repeatedly refers to the &ldquo;Biden-Harris administration,&rdquo; a nod to the GOP&rsquo;s efforts to blame the new Democratic nominee for the unpopular policies they previously used to criticize Biden. The GOP Foreign Affairs Committee staff told reporters they made that decision because the Biden administration has referred to itself as the &ldquo;Biden-Harris&rdquo; administration.<\/p>\n<p>The report details the months leading up to the removal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, accusing the Biden administration of ignoring warnings from high-ranking officials as the Taliban seized key cities faster than the United States expected.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It has damaged U.S. credibility,&rdquo; McCaul said. &ldquo;It has emboldened our adversaries, and it has made the United States more at risk of an attack emanating from Afghanistan. And the moral injury to our veterans and servicemembers is generational. The administration&rsquo;s unconditional surrender and the abandonment of our Afghan allies, who fought alongside the U.S. military against the Taliban &ndash; their brothers in arms &ndash; is a stain on this administration.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration pushed back against the report, decrying it as comprising &ldquo;cherry-picked facts, inaccurate characterizations, and preexisting biases.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Because of the bad deal former President Trump cut with the Taliban to get out of Afghanistan by May of 2021, President Biden inherited an untenable position,&rdquo; White House spokeswoman Sharon Yang said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Other investigations have concluded that the chaotic withdrawal was a result of systemic failures spanning the last four presidential administrations, with Biden and Trump holding the heaviest blame.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1748571\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1748571\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are set to participate in a Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony on Tuesday, commemorating the 13 service members who lost their lives during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Their presence marks them as the highest-ranking Democrats to engage with Gold Star families since President Joe Biden attended a dignified transfer ceremony for these service members shortly after their deaths in 2021. The event will be held in the Capitol Rotunda and will also feature House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and the families of those honored.<\/p>\n<p>This ceremony occurs amid Republican efforts to scrutinize the Biden administration&#8217;s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which culminated in a suicide bombing near Kabul International Airport that resulted in 13 U.S. military fatalities and left many behind as the Taliban regained control. It follows a long-anticipated report released by House Republicans regarding their investigation into this withdrawal, which largely attributes responsibility to President Biden while downplaying former President Donald Trump&#8217;s involvement, despite him being responsible for initiating the withdrawal agreement.<\/p>\n<p>House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) stated that their investigation indicates that the Biden-Harris administration had ample information and opportunities to prepare for an inevitable collapse of Afghan governance, allowing for a safer evacuation of U.S. personnel and allies. However, he criticized them for prioritizing public perception over security at every turn.<\/p>\n<p>While not presenting much new information, this report concludes an extensive inquiry initiated when House Republicans were still in minority status from 2021 to 2023. Lawmakers expedited its release ahead of the upcoming 2024 elections with hopes of linking Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s actions closely with those of President Biden as commander-in-chief; they asserted there was no evidence she opposed his decisions.<\/p>\n<p>The report frequently refers to &#8220;the Biden-Harris administration,&#8221; reflecting GOP attempts to hold both leaders accountable for policies they previously criticized solely directed at Biden. The committee staff explained this choice was made because the current administration has referred to itself using that terminology.<\/p>\n<p>The document outlines events leading up to troop withdrawals from Afghanistan while accusing Biden\u2019s team of disregarding warnings from senior officials about rapid Taliban advances into key cities\u2014an oversight McCaul claims has harmed U.S credibility globally and emboldened adversaries while putting Americans at greater risk from potential attacks originating from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>In response, representatives from the Biden administration dismissed these findings as selective facts influenced by biases against them. White House spokesperson Sharon Yang emphasized that former President Trump\u2019s agreement with the Taliban created an untenable situation inherited by President Biden upon taking office.<\/p>\n<p>Other investigations have suggested that systemic failures across four presidential administrations contributed significantly to what became a chaotic withdrawal process, implicating both Presidents Trump and Biden most heavily<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2640,"featured_media":2338702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/schumer_jeffries_democrats_98.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7228,13376,37163,4411,32250],"class_list":["post-2338701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-afghanistan","tag-jeffries","tag-medal-ceremony","tag-schumer","tag-service-members"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/schumer_jeffries_democrats_98.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2640"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}