Congressional Update from U.S. Congressman Andy Barr

Remembering 9/11

On Saturday, we honored the memory of Americans who lost their lives during the September 11th terrorist attacks.  I attended American Legion events in Lexington and Mt. Sterling to pay tribute to these Americans and the brave first responders who risked their lives to save their fellow Americans as the towers fell.  We must never forget the events of that day and those we lost. 

After the events of the past few weeks, we are also reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that thousands of American military servicemembers gave after the 9/11 attacks.  The sacrifice these American heroes made in the ongoing War on Terror made our country safer and prevented another 9/11 style attack on our homeland.  We are forever grateful and indebted to their service. 

Calling for Accountability from Secretary Blinken

Click the video above to watch my questioning of Secretary of State Blinken on Afghanistan

Earlier this week, I questioned U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  The American people deserve answers regarding the Biden Administration’s disastrous and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan.  I pressed Secretary Blinken on why the Administration ignored a July 13 cable from U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan warning of the coming collapse of the Afghanistan government and why the Administration abandoned Bagram Air Base before securing the safe passage of all American citizens and our Afghan allies. 

CNN Interview on American Hostage Crisis in Afghanistan

Click the video above to see my interview on CNN about the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal

Hundreds, if not thousands of Americans still remain stranded behind enemy lines in Afghanistan.  I appeared on CNN Newsroom prior to the hearing with Secretary Blinken to discuss my efforts to push legislation requiring the Administration to provide a precise accounting of the Americans they abandoned in Afghanistan, and to communicate a plan to get them home safe. 

The Afghanistan Withdrawal Oversight and Liability (AWOL) Act would:

• Demand a specific and accurate number of the Americans abandoned in Afghanistan and a plan from the Biden Administration to bring Americans stranded in Afghanistan home.
• Demand an accounting of all the equipment left behind.
• Require transparency on any deals or agreements made by the Biden Administration with the Taliban.
• State that the Taliban should not be recognized as the government of Afghanistan.
• Prohibit any federal funding or sanctions relief to the Taliban.

As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I will not rest until we hold this Administration accountable and demand every American be rescued.

Fighting Government Overreach at the IRS

Think big government has too much of your personal data?  The Biden Administration wants to impose new regulations on banks requiring them to report the personal financial data of any customer with a bank account of more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  This is a gross overreach of government power and will jeopardize the personal information of millions of Americans and thousands of Kentuckians in the Sixth District.   That is why I sent a letter with over 100 of my colleagues to the Biden Administration and Democrat leadership to stop this outrageous, invasive, and totally unnecessary proposal from moving forward. You deserve financial privacy, and I will continue to monitor and oppose this dangerous proposal.

Sincerely, 

Congressman Andy Barr