**House Votes to Condemn Biden and Harris Over Afghan Withdrawal**

In a significant legislative move, the House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to formally denounce President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other administration officials for their handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The resolution, which passed with a vote of 219-194, was not strictly along party lines as 10 Democrats sided with Republicans in favor of the measure.

The resolution was spearheaded by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. It criticizes the administration's withdrawal strategy as "chaotic" and "precipitous", condemning their "willful refusal to properly plan for a noncombatant evacuation operation." The document also takes issue with the decision to rely on the Taliban to manage the checkpoints around Kabul airport, which it claims contributed to the tragic Abbey Gate attack that took place in the final days of the withdrawal.

Vice President Harris also faced specific criticism for her remarks to CNN in April 2021, where she stated her significant involvement in the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. This statement has particularly fueled the resolution's call for accountability at the highest levels of the administration.

In a related decision, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a measure on Tuesday to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress. This was in reaction to Blinken's non-compliance with a subpoena to testify at a hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal. Blinken, who was attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York that day, had communicated his willingness to testify and expressed disappointment at McCaul's pursuit of the contempt resolution.

A spokesperson for the State Department, Matthew Miller, defended Blinken, highlighting that the Secretary has testified on this issue more than any other Cabinet member. Meanwhile, the political ramifications extend beyond Capitol Hill. Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have persistently blamed Harris for the withdrawal, especially following her entry into the presidential race in July.

Senator JD Vance, R-Ohio, Trump's running mate, was among those vocal in his criticism of Harris, accusing her of dereliction of duty that led to the death of 13 service members in the Abbey Gate attack. Vance disparaged Harris's leadership and called the lack of accountability within the administration "disgraceful."

Adding to the gravity of the situation, it was reported that family members of the service members who died in the Abbey Gate attack did not invite President Biden or Vice President Harris to the Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate the third anniversary of the attack, as reported by sources from both the White House and Harris's office.