Sen. Bill Cassidy at one point supported the formation of a committee to investigate the incidents at the Capitol on Jan. 6, but he told Newsmax Wednesday that Congress must shift its focus to what happened with the pullout from Afghanistan.
"Afghanistan clearly needs congressional oversight about the planning of the withdrawal, the execution of the withdrawal, and the decision-making process," the Louisiana Republican said in an interview airing on Newsmax's "John Bachman Now," as the situation was "exposed as being awful."
However, the Jan. 6 committee, at this point, "unfortunately is dead from my perspective," said the senator.
"I think it would benefit to have a nonpartisan, not Nancy Pelosi, appointing people," said Cassidy, and the Republicans "having an independent staff," but that opportunity is gone.
But with Afghanistan, if there are questions about being able to establish an investigation or if the Democrat majorities in the House or Senate will want that to happen, then an independent commission should be established, said Cassidy.
"The American people, the people who served, all of us deserve answers and we should get those," said Cassidy.
His comments come after a defiant President Joe Biden Tuesday called the pullout and extraction of more than 120,000 Americans and Afghans an "extraordinary success" and defended his decision to end America's 20-year war, saying he was not going to "extend this forever war" and he "was not going to extend a forever exit."
The senator also talked Wednesday about the devastation left behind in his state in the wake of Hurricane Ida, commenting that almost everyone in south or southeast Louisiana has been affected.
People are trying to return to their homes, and finding them destroyed in some cases, and in other locations, there was no flooding, but now there is no power, he said, noting that he's talked to several officials from the parishes and communities who are telling him about the extent of the flooding and problems they have been experiencing.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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