WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act, a bill to strengthen vetting procedures for Afghans who were evacuated to the United States following Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the wake of the deadly attack on the National Guard by one of these evacuees, Senator Hawley’s bill would require in-person interviews and vetting of all Afghan evacuees.
“Joe Biden didn’t just botch our withdrawal from Afghanistan, he put Americans at risk by allowing tens of thousands of refugees into our country without proper vetting,” Senator Hawley said. “My bill is going to codify into law what President Trump started: we’re going to protect our heroes and ensure anyone allowed into our country is not a threat to our own citizens.”
President Trump has rightly taken steps to correct the egregious failures of his predecessor. Building on its earlier actions to limit the entry of Afghan nationals, the Trump Administration recently moved to strengthen vetting standards for nationals from Afghanistan and other high-risk countries. Senator Hawley’s Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act, which he first introduced after the fall of Kabul, supports the Trump Administration’s efforts by codifying a requirement for comprehensive vetting of all Afghan evacuees.
The Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act would:
- Require the Department of Homeland Security to verify the personal and biometric information of individuals evacuated from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in 2021 and require in-person vetting interviews.
- Direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a vetting certification and quarterly report to Congress on the list of evacuees. This quarterly report will include any known criminal records and the current vetting status of Afghan evacuees.
- Prohibit Afghan evacuees who have not been properly vetted from receiving any federal benefits.
As early as 2021, Senator Hawley exposed how the Biden Administration failed to vet ten of thousands of Afghan refugees after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. He first introduced legislation to mandate full vetting of Afghan refugees in 2022.
The full bill text can be read here.