Print Print    Close Close

Pelosi’s Texas visit draws GOP backlash amid Afghanistan crisis

By Dom Calicchio

Published September 04, 2021

Fox News
Fox News Flash top headlines for September 3 Video

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Texas this week to tout health care aspects of the Biden administration’s "Build Back Better" agenda – but a Republican spokeswoman said Pelosi's timing was all wrong.

After a deadly Kabul airport attack in Afghanistan left 13 U.S. service members dead last month, the San Francisco Democrat’s services were needed more in Washington than in Austin, the GOP spokeswoman said.

"It’s inappropriate and insensitive for Nancy Pelosi to be promoting the Democrats’ agenda when Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan," said Macarena Martinez of the Republican National Committee (RNC), according to KXAN-TV of Austin.

PELOSI PLEDGES ROE V. WADE BILL AFTER SUPREME COURT ALLOWS TEXAS ABORTION LAW TO GO INTO EFFECT

"Pelosi should get back to Washington, D.C., convene Congress and demand answers for Biden’s failed withdrawal in Afghanistan."

Republicans and even some Democrats have accused the Biden administration of poor planning regarding the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after a two-decade presence. As U.S. troop numbers dropped, Taliban fighters gained control of large portions of the country, culminating in the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on Aug. 15. 

NANCY PELOSI'S HUSBAND UP $700K ON CROWDSTRIKE STOCK PURCHASE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (Associated Press)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (Associated Press)

Then came the frantic effort to evacuate American citizens and others from the Kabul airport – and the Aug. 26 terror attack that killed dozens of Afghans in addition to the 13 U.S. troops.

PELOSI HEARS FROM GOP AS DEM BILL DIRECTS $200M TO PARK IN HER SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT

But on Thursday in Austin, Pelosi – accompanied by Texas U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett and Austin Mayor Steve Adler – criticized Texas Republicans for making the state one of 12 in the nation that do not offer expanded Medicaid services, KXAN reported.

"It’s almost an immorality to say, ‘I will not accept money from the federal government for 100% paying for Medicaid. My decision is, I will cut millions of people in my state,’" Pelosi said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During the same Texas visit, Pelosi also took aim at Texas’ new abortion law, pledging to help bolster the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, which legal experts say is threatened by the court’s recent decision to allow the new Texas law to stand.

Late Friday, a Texas state judge issued a temporary restraining order shielding the state’s abortion clinics from lawsuits permitted under the new law. A hearing in relation to the case is scheduled for Sept. 13, The Associated Press reported.

Dom Calicchio is a Senior Editor at FoxNews.com. Reach him at dom.calicchio@foxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DomCalicchioFOX
Print Print    Close Close

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-texas-gop-backlash-afghanistan-crisis

  • Home
  • Video
  • Politics
  • U.S.
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • World
  • Sports
  • Weather
  • Privacy
  • Terms

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Do Not Sell my Personal Information - New Terms of Use - FAQ