08.03.21

What Does The Biden Administration Think Is Going Right?

Americans Are Keenly Aware That The Biden Administration’s Policies Are Failing On Critical Issues For The Country: Inflation, The Pandemic, The Southern Border, Crime, Afghanistan, Iran, And Russia

Americans Know Things Under President Biden Aren’t Going Well, With A Recent Poll Showing ‘Americans’ Optimism About The Direction Of The Country Has Plummeted Nearly 20 Points’ In Just 2 Months

“As President Joe Biden completed 100 days in office, the country was optimistic about the coming year, but now, just after hitting the six-month mark, Americans’ optimism about the direction of the country has plummeted nearly 20 points, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds.” (“Americans’ Optimism About Country’s Direction Over Next Year Drops Nearly 20 Points Since May: POLL,” ABC News, 7/25/2021)

  • “A majority -- 55% -- of the public say they are pessimistic about the direction of the country, a marked change from the roughly one-third (36%) that said the same in an ABC News/Ipsos poll published May 2. In the early May survey, Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic by a 28-percentage point margin. Optimism is now under water by 10 points. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, fewer than half -- 45% -- now report feeling optimistic about the way things are going, a significant drop from about two-thirds (64%) in the May poll.” (“Americans’ Optimism About Country’s Direction Over Next Year Drops Nearly 20 Points Since May: POLL,” ABC News, 7/25/2021)

 

As ‘Most Americans Report Feeling [Inflation’s] Effects In The Price Of Basic Goods And Services,’ 59% Of Voters Point To The Biden Administration’s Policies As Being Responsible

Nearly 3 in 5 voters said that the Biden administration’s policies are to blame for the 13-year high in inflation, including 39 percent who said the policies are ‘very responsible’ for the milestone. At 82 percent, Republicans were the driving force behind those figures, but a large share of Democrats also held the Biden administration’s policies responsible for inflation levels, at 41 percent.” (“Voters’ Inflation Worries Emerge as an Economic Weak Spot for Biden,” Morning Consult, 7/28/2021)

 

(“Voters’ Inflation Worries Emerge as an Economic Weak Spot for Biden,” Morning Consult, 7/28/2021)

CBS NEWS POLL: “[W]ith spending comes the specter of inflation, and most Americans report feeling its effects in the price of basic goods and services. Large majorities of Americans say they are paying more these days for gasoline, groceries and food, as well as electricity and power. Those across all income levels say they have noticed increasing prices for these items.” (“Biden Nets Positive Marks For Handling Pandemic, But Vaccine Resistance, Delta Concern Remains - CBS News Poll,” CBS News, 7/19/2021)

“An overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned about inflation, and they’re not uniformly confident in the government’s ability to reel it in, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shared exclusively with The Hill. In total, 85 percent of respondents say that they’re at least somewhat concerned about inflation, including 45 percent who say that they’re ‘very concerned.’ The rising worries come on the heels of news that the consumer price index rose 0.6 percent last month as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.” (“Poll: Concern About Inflation Rises As Economy Recovers From Pandemic,” The Hill, 6/22/2021)

“A top party pollster and senior adviser to the Biden political team is urging Democrats to confront the problem of rising prices — which she says is starting to bite with voters. … Celinda Lake, who polled for the Biden presidential campaign and still advises Team Biden, told Axios that worries about inflation are coming through loud and clear in both public polls and her own focus groups. … Lake said Democrats can’t afford to ignore the inflation issue or hope it goes away; they need to tackle it head on. She’s advised Democratic elected officials to make clear to voters that they understand their lived experiences of higher costs of health care and daily goods — and that they have ideas for how to make the cost of living more affordable.” (“Biden Pollster’s Inflation Warning,” Axios, 7/22/2021)

 

The Administration Has Stumbled In Its Handling Of The Pandemic, Missing Its Own Goals On Vaccinations And Frustrating The Public With Confused Messaging About Masking And The Delta Variant While Their Teachers’ Union Allies Won’t Commit To Reopening Schools In The Fall

President Biden Missed His Goal Of Vaccinating 70 Percent Of Adults By July 4 As Vaccines’ ‘Steep Decline… Coincid[ed] With Federal Officials’ Temporary Suspension Of The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine’

“The United States will miss President Biden’s original goal of getting at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine to 70 percent of adults by July 4, White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients conceded Tuesday. Zients instead announced a new goal: ensuring that 70 percent of Americans age 27 and up receive at least one shot through the July 4 holiday weekend. Seventy percent of Americans age 30 and up have already received at least one shot, Zients said.” (“U.S. to narrowly miss Biden’s July 4 vaccination goal, White House says,” The Washington Post, 6/22/2021)

“Plummeting vaccination rates have turned what officials hoped would be the ‘last mile’ of the coronavirus immunization campaign into a marathon, threatening President Biden’s goal of getting shots to at least 70 percent of adults by July 4. … The steep decline began in mid-April, coinciding with federal officials’ temporary suspension of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while they probed rare blood-clotting reactions.” (“Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s July Fourth goal,” The Washington Post, 6/06/2021)

“Vaccinations fell sharply in the days after April 13, when health officials announced a pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to investigate reports of rare side effects, and they have not fully recovered. Experts say the 11-day pause is partly responsible, but the data also shows a slowing uptake of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. … The decline is visible in the data for those seeking their first or second shots, but also for total doses administered, which peaked at slightly above three million shots a day, just before the pause took effect.” (“U.S. Vaccinations Are Slowing. What’s to Blame?,” The New York Times, 5/04/2021)

‘The Biden Administration's Handling Of The Delta Surge Has Left Americans Confused And Frustrated, Fueling Media Overreaction And Political Manipulation’

“The Biden administration's handling of the Delta surge has left Americans confused and frustrated, fueling media overreaction and political manipulation. … The past five days were a mess. On Tuesday, the CDC updated its guidance to say vaccinated people in hot spots should wear masks in indoor, public settings — without an easy, definitive way to know if you're in a hot spot. This was a reversal from the CDC's announcement on May 13 — 75 days earlier — that fully vaccinated people could shed masks in most indoor settings, which President Biden called ‘a great day for America in our long battle with the coronavirus.’” (“Biden's Quick-Trigger COVID Problem,” Axios, 7/31/2021)

“The brewing anxiety… underscored the extent to which the emergence of the Delta variant has disrupted the White House’s plans for the late summer and fall. A season meant to mark the great reopening of society has, instead, been darkened by the next chapter of the disease. And it has left the Biden administration at a crossroads: eager to tout a country making strides but divided internally over how to handle the threats posed by the new strand of virus and what steps Americans should take to protect themselves from it.” (“Tensions Rise Within Biden Team Over Mask Reversal,” Politico, 8/02/2021)

  • “It all amounts to a grim political outlook for Biden. The White House had planned to be focused by now on the economy, jobs and infrastructure. Now, it is forced to confront questions about how schools would operate this fall on top of fear from housing advocates over the expiration of an eviction moratorium on Saturday, which came after the White House was slow to call for a legislative fix and which could, those advocates warn, further hamper the pandemic fight.” (“Tensions Rise Within Biden Team Over Mask Reversal,” Politico, 8/02/2021)
  • “Inside the administration, the emergence of the Delta variant has caused friction, leading to behind-the-scenes finger-pointing and weeks-long tensions between the CDC and the White House. Two senior Biden officials familiar with the matter said the administration is still trying to balance messaging in a way that underscores the severity of the Delta variant while simultaneously reiterating that vaccinated individuals are overwhelmingly not at risk.” (“Tensions Rise Within Biden Team Over Mask Reversal,” Politico, 8/02/2021)

The American Federation Of Teachers President Dodged On Reopening Schools, Saying, ‘We’re Going To Try To Open Up Schools’

“American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten was ripped after hedging on whether or not U.S. schools would reopen in the fall during a Wednesday interview on MSNBC. While having previously recommended that fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed guidance following the spread of the new Delta variant of the virus, announcing that vaccinated people should return to wearing masks indoors and suggesting universal masking in schools.  Weingarten called the guidance a ‘curveball,’ before suggesting that school reopenings this fall are not a done deal. ‘So the bottom line is, we're going to keep kids safe, we're going to keep our members safe, we're going to try to open up schools, and we're going to move through this political battlefield,’ Weingarten said.” (“Randi Weingarten Ripped After Telling MSNBC 'We're Going To Try' To Reopen Schools After CDC Mask Guidance,” Fox News, 7/29/2021)

 

The Crisis On The Southern Border Shows No Signs Of Abating As Illegal Immigrants Continue To Arrive In Record-Breaking Numbers While The Biden Administration Plows Ahead With Its Catch-And-Release Policies

In June, Border Agents Encountered The Highest Number Of Illegal Immigrants In 21 Years

 June 2021 CBP Encounters Chart

(Southwest Land Border Encounters, U.S. Customs And Border Protection, Accessed 7/29/2021)

“U.S. border agents stopped more than 188,000 immigrants trying to cross the southern U.S. border in June, marking a 21-year high in monthly border crossings, as the Biden administration considers lifting Covid-19 restrictions and allowing more immigrants to claim asylum in the U.S. The numbers were the highest since March 2000, when more than 223,000 immigrants were stopped by the Border Patrol at the southern border.” (“Number Of Attempted Crossings At Southern U.S. Border Hits 21-Year High,” NBC News, 7/16/2021)

The U.S. Recorded More Than 1 Million Border Apprehensions For The First Time In 15 Years

“Federal officials have logged more than 1.1 million apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border this fiscal year, after another busy month in June, Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Friday. Many who were taken into custody have attempted to cross the border more than once, officials said. Apprehensions last reached the 1 million milestone in 2006. But far fewer attempted to cross that year during the searing-hot summer months, when the journey across the Rio Grande or vast ranches is especially dangerous. Approximately 68,000 migrants were taken into custody in June 2006 — compared with 188,829 apprehensions last month, which was a 5 percent increase from May.” (“U.S.-Mexico Border Apprehensions For The Fiscal Year Surpassed 1 Million In June,” The Washington Post, 7/16/2021)

In March, The Number Of Unaccompanied Minors Crossing The Border Reached The Highest Level On Record

“The number of unaccompanied children crossing the border in March reached more than 18,500, according to preliminary Customs and Border Protection data obtained by NBC News, smashing the previous record as the Biden administration scrambles to set up new shelters to accommodate them. The March total is at least 60 percent higher than the previous record of 11,494 in May 2019. The data is still preliminary and may change slightly before its official release. The figures go back to 2010 when the border patrol began keeping track of how many migrants arrived as unaccompanied minors.” (“Record Number Of Unaccompanied Children Crossed The Border In March,” NBC News, 4/02/2021)

Meanwhile, The Biden Administration Continues Its Catch-And-Release Policies, As Just 13% Of The 50,000 Illegal Immigrants Released Into The United States Without A Court Date Have Actually Reported To ICE Check-Ins

“About 50,000 migrants who crossed the southern border illegally have now been released in the United States without a court date. Although they are told to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office instead, just 13% have shown up so far, Axios has learned. … It’s unprecedented for agents to release migrants without an official notice to appear in court. Where it has occurred recently, migrants have instead been given a list of addresses and contacts for ICE offices across the country and told to report to one of them.” (“Scoop: 50,000 Migrants Released; Few Report To ICE,” Axios, 7/27/2021)

‘Vice President Harris’s ‘Root Causes’ Initiative For Stemming Northern Triangle Migration To The United States Is Facing Serious Headwinds Before It Takes Off’

“Vice President Harris’s ‘root causes’ initiative for stemming Northern Triangle migration to the United States is facing serious headwinds before it takes off as governments in Mexico and Guatemala split with the Biden administration on key policy issues. … Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has openly antagonized the Biden administration, at times accusing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of funding ‘coup plotters’ against him or spouting Cold War-era rhetoric on U.S.-Cuba relations. While López Obrador's rhetoric has been ostensibly directed at his domestic audience, it has signaled a cooling of relations between Mexico and the United States.” (“Harris 'Root Causes' Immigration Plan Faces Challenges,” The Hill, 8/02/2021)

 

Violent Crime Keeps Increasing, With Murders In 2021 At This Point Outpacing 2020’s Record Highs, Leading To ‘Concerns About Crime … [Surging] To The Top Of Issues That Worry Americans’

“Last year, the US saw the biggest increase in the murder rate in decades. The estimated total number of homicides rose to levels not seen since the late 1990s, even as the overall crime rate declined. So far, the spike has continued into 2021: Murders are up nearly 15 percent so far this year compared to the same period last year, based on data from US cities collected by crime analyst Jeff Asher.” (Vox, 7/21/2021)

“A large majority of voters agree that 2021’s rise in violent crime in the United States is a significant, increasing problem, according to a new Morning Consult/Politico poll... Roughly 3 in 4 voters (78 percent) said they believe violent crime is a ‘major problem’ in the United States, and a similar share (73 percent) said it is on the rise after weeks of news about shootings and the proliferation of videos online showing violent incidents nationwide.” (“Most Voters See Violent Crime as a Major and Increasing Problem. But They’re Split on Its Causes and How to Fix It,” Morning Consult, 7/14/2021)

“Concerns about crime and gun violence have surged to the top of issues that worry Americans, a new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds… In the survey, 7 in 10 supported increasing police department budgets; 77% said they would like additional police officers deployed on street patrols.” (USA Today, 7/08/2021)

“Violent crime is on the rise in urban areas across the country. Many small cities that typically have relatively few murders are seeing significant increases over last year. Killings in Albuquerque, N.M., Austin, Texas, and Pittsburgh, for example, have about doubled so far in 2021, while Portland, Ore., has had five times as many murders compared to last year, according to data compiled by Jeff Asher, a crime data analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics. Most cities in the United States, including each of those named above, have a Democratic mayor. After protests last year over police violence against Black Americans — notably the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis — there has been a push from the left to ‘defund’ police departments. As a result, several cities, including Austin and New York, have reduced or reallocated police budgets …” (“Rising Violent Crime Is Likely To Present A Political Challenge For Democrats In 2022,” NPR, 7/22/2021)

 

Dems In Disarray: Congressional Democrats Are Pointing Fingers At The Biden White House And Each Other Over The Lapsed Eviction Moratorium

“Anger and frustration mounted in Congress as a nationwide eviction moratorium expired at midnight Saturday — one Democratic lawmaker even camping outside the Capitol in protest … Lawmakers said they were blindsided by President Joe Biden’s inaction as the deadline neared, some furious that he called on Congress to provide a last-minute solution to protect renters. The rare division between the president and his party carried potential lasting political ramifications. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the chair of the Financial Services Committee, said Saturday on CNN: ‘We thought that the White House was in charge.’” (“Frustration As Biden, Congress Allow Eviction Ban To Expire,” The Associated Press, 8/01/2021)

  • “Biden set off the scramble by announcing Thursday he would allow the eviction ban to expire instead of challenging a recent Supreme Court ruling signaling this would be the last deadline…. Biden, heeding the court’s warning, called on Congress on Thursday to swiftly pass legislation to extend the date. Racing to respond, Democrats strained to draft a bill and rally the votes. Pelosi implored colleagues to pass legislation extending the deadline … Despite behind-the-scenes wrangling throughout the day, Democratic lawmakers had questions and concerns and could not muster support to extend the ban.” (“Frustration As Biden, Congress Allow Eviction Ban To Expire,” The Associated Press, 8/01/2021)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): “[T]he House and House leadership had the opportunity to vote to extend the moratorium. And there were many and there was, frankly, a handful of conservative Democrats in the House that threatened to get on planes, rather than hold this vote. And we have to really just call a spade a spade. We cannot in good faith blame the Republican Party when House Democrats have a majority. Now, there is something to be said for the fact that this court order came down on the White House a month ago, and the White House waited until the day before the House adjourned to release a statement asking on Congress to extend the moratorium. This came after weeks. I sit on the Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction in over housing. We had the housing secretary there, asking about the administration stance. We asked the Biden administration about their stance. And they were not being really forthright about that advocacy and that request until the day before the House adjourned. And so the House was put into a -- I believe a needlessly difficult situation. And it's not just me saying that. Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters has made that very clear as well.” (CNN’s “State of the Union,” 8/01/2021)

REP. CORI BUSH (D-MO):Many of my Democratic colleagues chose to go on vacation early today rather than staying to vote to keep people in their homes. I’ll be sleeping outside the Capitol tonight. We’ve still got work to do.” (Rep. Bush, @CoriBush, Twitter, 7/30/2021)

 

 The Biden Administration’s Decision To Precipitously Remove All U.S. Forces From Afghanistan Is Already Bearing Bitter Fruit: Taliban Atrocities, ‘A Looming Refugee Crisis,’ Afghan Allies ‘Trapped In Bureaucratic Limbo’ Fearing For Their Lives

The Military Situation In Afghanistan Is Deteriorating By The Day As The Taliban Advance On Key Cities Including Lashkar Gah, Herat, Kandahar, And Kunduz

“An important city in Afghanistan’s south was in danger of falling to the Taliban on Saturday as their fighters pushed toward its center despite concerted American and Afghan airstrikes in recent days. Reports from Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand, a province where the Taliban already controlled much of the territory before their recent offensive, were dire: People were fleeing their homes, a hospital in the city had been bombed, and government reinforcements were only now arriving after days of delays. “We are just waiting for the Taliban to arrive — there is no expectation that the government will be able to protect the city any more,” said Mohammadullah Barak, a resident. What comes next in Lashkar Gah is anything but certain … [b]ut if the insurgent group seizes the city this time it will be the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban since 2016. The worsening situation in Lashkar Gah is a more acute version of what is happening in cities across the country after the Taliban seized around half of Afghanistan’s 400-odd districts since U.S. and international forces began withdrawing from the country in May.” (“Key Afghan City in Danger of Falling to the Taliban,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)

  • “The Taliban have taken over a TV station in Afghanistan's strategic Helmand province, a source at the TV and radio station told CNN on Monday, marking the latest of a series of advances by the militant group in the country. The Helmand TV station, located in the city of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, is operated by state-run Radio and Television Afghanistan…. The weekend saw heavy fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces in Lashkar Gah. The Taliban now control several districts of the city, according to local journalists contacted by CNN.” (“Taliban Take Over TV Station In Strategic City As US Airstrikes Pound Key Positions In Afghanistan,” CNN, 8/02/2021)
  • “On Saturday, fighting between insurgent and government forces around Herat city, a traditionally safe area in the country’s west, edged dangerously close to its periphery. Many shops were shuttered on Saturday and Herat’s airport remained closed to civilian travel for a third day. On Friday, a U.N. compound there was attacked, and one of its guards was killed. Taliban fighters also remained entrenched in neighborhoods in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, in the country’s south. In Kunduz city, an economic hub on the Tajikistan border, efforts to root out the Taliban now garrisoned within its walls have stalled.” (“Key Afghan City in Danger of Falling to the Taliban,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)

‘Reports Of Violence And Human Rights Atrocities Are Growing Ahead Of The U.S. Military's Full Withdrawal From Afghanistan’

“The U.S. Embassy in Kabul accused Taliban fighters on Monday of carrying out ‘revenge killings’ against dozens of civilians in Spin Boldak, a border district captured in a military offensive last month. Reports of violence and human rights atrocities are growing ahead of the U.S. military's full withdrawal from Afghanistan. Officials have warned that the country could descend into a chaotic civil war as the Taliban continues to seize more territory on the battlefield each week. ‘In Spin Boldak, Kandahar, the Taliban massacred dozens of civilians in revenge killings. These murders could constitute war crimes; they must be investigated & those Taliban fighters or commanders responsible held accountable,’ the U.S. Embassy in Kabul tweeted, calling for an immediate ceasefire.” (“U.S. Accuses Taliban Of Massacring Dozens Of Civilians In ‘Revenge Killings,’” Axios, 8/02/2021)

  • “The body of Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters photojournalist who was killed in Afghanistan this month, was badly mutilated while in the custody of the Taliban, officials said this week. The revelation comes amid concern that the fighting in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have carried out an aggressive military offensive since the United States withdrew nearly all its troops, has become increasingly brutal as peace talks have stalled. Mr. Siddiqui, 38, an Indian national who took some of the most memorable news photographs from South Asia in recent years, was killed on the morning of July 16, when Afghan commandos he had accompanied to Spin Boldak, a border district recently captured by the Taliban, were ambushed.” (“Body of Reuters Photographer Was Mutilated in Taliban Custody, Officials Say,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)

Unsurprisingly, ‘Afghanistan Is On The Brink Of Another Humanitarian Crisis’ As Hundreds Of Thousands Flee The Taliban Advance In The Wake Of U.S. Forces Withdrawing

“Across Afghanistan, a mass exodus is unfolding as the Taliban press on in their brutal military campaign, which has captured more than half the country’s 400-odd districts, according to some assessments. And with that, fears of a harsh return to extremist rule or a bloody civil war between ethnically aligned militias have taken hold. So far this year around 330,000 Afghans have been displaced, more than half of them fleeing their homes since the United States began its withdrawal in May, according to the United Nations. Many have flooded into makeshift tent camps or crowded into relatives’ homes in cities, the last islands of government control in many provinces. Thousands more are trying to secure passports and visas to leave the country altogether. Others have crammed into smugglers’ pickup trucks in a desperate bid to slip illegally over the border.” (“As Fears Grip Afghanistan, Hundreds of Thousands Flee,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)

  • “The sudden flight is an early sign of a looming refugee crisis, aid agencies warn, and has raised alarms in neighboring countries and Europe that the violence that has escalated since the start of the withdrawal is already spilling across the country’s borders. ‘Afghanistan is on the brink of another humanitarian crisis,’ Babar Baloch, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said earlier this month.” (“As Fears Grip Afghanistan, Hundreds of Thousands Flee,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)

At The Same Time, The Program To Evacuate Afghan Allies Hunted By The Taliban ‘Is Just A Complete Disaster’ With ‘Roughly 20,000 Eligible Afghans And Their Families Trapped In Bureaucratic Limbo’

“President Joe Biden had just announced plans to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan in April when, during a classified briefing with top national security officials on Capitol Hill, one lawmaker stood up and asked a pointed question. What was the Biden administration’s plan to evacuate the thousands of Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. war effort, and expedite their visas? Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin didn’t have an answer. ‘We’ll get back to you on that,’ Austin said, according to two people in the room and a defense official familiar with the interaction. Austin’s response shocked them — and it foreshadowed what many members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, now see as a failure by the Biden administration to sufficiently prepare for the avalanche of visa applications and the need to quickly evacuate those Afghans from the country as the Taliban make steady territorial gains.” (“‘Complete Disaster’: Inside The Biden Team’s Chaotic Bid To Evacuate Afghan Interpreters,” Politico, 7/30/2021)

  • “In the United States, the growing backlog for the Special Immigration Visa program — available to Afghans who face threats because of their work with the U.S. government — has left roughly 20,000 eligible Afghans and their families trapped in bureaucratic limbo in Afghanistan. The Biden administration has come under heavy pressure to protect Afghan allies as the United States withdraws troops and air support amid a Taliban insurgency.” (“As Fears Grip Afghanistan, Hundreds of Thousands Flee,” The New York Times, 7/31/2021)
  • “‘They spent so much time debating what direction they wanted to go in on Afghanistan writ-large,’ said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who was involved in the congressional push to expand access to the special visas. ‘When they finally made the decision of a hasty surrender and withdrawal, they didn’t anticipate some of the unintended consequences or really play out a lot of the details — [visas] among them.’ … Despite the congressional mandate that their applications be approved within nine months, Afghans have waited years for that to happen … The threat has become more dire in the weeks since Biden announced the Sept. 11 deadline for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan: The Taliban have made huge territorial gains and now threaten to overrun the country within months, according to some intelligence assessments. The applicants fear retaliation from the militants, who have threatened to hunt down and execute their families. Already, the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee have warned that the current backlog ‘does not align with the pace of withdrawal and the rapid deterioration in security’ in Afghanistan. ‘This whole thing is just a complete disaster, and it’s not getting better any time soon,’ Gallagher lamented. (“‘Complete Disaster’: Inside The Biden Team’s Chaotic Bid To Evacuate Afghan Interpreters,” Politico, 7/30/2021)

 

Other Areas Of Biden Foreign Policy Aren’t Faring Much Better As Iran Continues Its Deadly Provocations Against American Forces And Interests And A Joint Statement From European Allies And The Chair Of The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Condemns The Biden Administration’s Capitulation On Russia’s Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

Iran Continues To Brazenly Attack American Forces, Interests, And Allies In The Middle East

“The U.S. on Sunday accused Iran of being behind an attack on an Israeli-linked Mercer Street oil tanker last week that killed two workers on board. ‘We join our partners and allies in our strong condemnation of the attack against the Mercer Street, a commercial ship that was peacefully transiting through the north Arabian Sea in international waters,’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. ‘Upon review of the available information, we are confident that Iran conducted this attack, which killed two innocent people, using one-way explosive UAVs, a lethal capability it is increasingly employing throughout the region.’ On Thursday, the Liberian-flagged Mercer Street ship was attacked, with two crew members, British and Romanian, being killed as a result. The U.S. military said on Saturday that it had determined the attack was carried out by a drone strike. The ship is owned by Maritime Zodiac which Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer owns through his company the Zodiac Group shipping company. Both Israel and the U.K. have accused Iran of carrying out the attack. Iran has denied any involvement. ‘I declare unequivocally: Iran is the one that carried out the attack on the ship,’ adding that intelligence supports his claim,’ Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.” (“US Blames Iran For Attack On Oil Tanker Off Oman,” The Hill, 8/01/2021)

“A series of Iranian-backed militia attacks against Americans in Iraq and Syria is piling new pressure on President Joe Biden, with some Republicans criticizing his approach as insufficient and ineffective. U.S. troops and diplomats in Iraq and Syria were targeted in six rocket and drone attacks [the week of July 10th] alone, including when at least 14 rockets hit a base in Iraq on Wednesday, injuring two U.S. service members. The development is the latest in an escalating back-and-forth between the U.S. and Iranian-backed militia groups, which have stepped up attacks on U.S. troops in recent months despite Biden’s stated goal of deterrence through retaliatory airstrikes.” (“Biden Under Pressure To Respond To Escalating Attacks On U.S. Troops In Iraq And Syria,” Politico, 7/10/2021)

  • “At least five times since April, the Iranian-backed militias have used small, explosive-laden drones that divebomb and crash into their targets in late-night attacks on Iraqi bases — including those used by the C.I.A. and U.S. Special Operations units, according to American officials. So far, no Americans have been hurt in the attacks, but officials worry about the precision of the drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, or U.A.V.s. The drones are part of a rapidly evolving threat from Iranian proxies in Iraq, with militia forces specialized in operating more sophisticated weaponry hitting some of the most sensitive American targets in attacks that evaded U.S. defenses.” (“U.S. Carries Out Airstrikes in Iraq and Syria,” The New York Times, 6/27/2021)

The Democrat Chairman Of The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Issued An Extraordinary Joint Statement With His Counterparts From ‘Estonia, [The] Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, The United Kingdom, And Lithuania’ Blasting The Biden Administration’s Agreement To ‘Allow The Completion Of Nord Stream 2, The Controversial Natural Gas Pipeline Between Russia And Germany’

“The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his counterparts from eight European countries slammed an agreement by Washington and Berlin that will allow the completion of Nord Stream 2, the controversial natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. The joint statement from SFRC Chairman Robert Menendez and the chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees in Estonia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania offers an extensive rebuke of the deal announced by the Biden administration in late July, wherein Germany agreed to take a series of measures meant to mitigate the risks to European energy security, to Ukraine, and to European Union and NATO countries close to Russian borders. In the past, Russia has cut off energy supplies to other countries, including Ukraine. The joint statement said that the completion of Nord Stream 2 ‘will strengthen the impact of Russian gas in the European energy mix, endanger the national security of EU member states and the United States, and threaten the already precarious security and sovereignty of Ukraine,’ saying it ‘will give Russia yet another tool to pressure and blackmail Ukraine.’” (“Top Democrat And European Counterparts Slam US-Germany Deal On Nord Stream 2,” CNN, 8/02/2021)

 

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SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Afghanistan, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Russia, Syria, America's Military, Immigration, COVID-19, Education, Health Care, Economy, Iran, Iraq