President Joe Biden and many of his Cabinet-level officials are facing the real possibility of impeachment inquiries and possibly impeachment trials once the Republican-led House returns from recess.
According to the Washington Examiner, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) made headlines late last week after he introduced a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for "high crimes and misdemeanors" regarding the disastrous U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago.
In his resolution, Mills accuses the Sec Def of "dereliction of his duties and intentional abandonment of Americans in Afghanistan."
Biden's pullout of U.S. troops from the war-torn country resulted in American deaths, allied Afghani deaths, stranded American citizens, and a country ripe for reclamation by the Taliban.
At the heart of the issue was the obvious lack of preparation for such a monumental shift in power in the region, which many believe contributed to the disaster that followed.
In his bill, Mills torched Secretary Austin for his role in the failed troop withdrawal.
"Despite having nearly 8 months as Secretary of Defense to prepare for and execute a smooth and orderly departure from Afghanistan, Secretary Austin failed to adequately prepare for such a withdrawal, including through his decisions during the catastrophic events of July and August 2021, which initially resulted in as many as 9,000 American citizens being abandoned in Afghanistan," the bill read.
Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida has announced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin over the "intentional abandonment of Americans" in Afghanistan. https://t.co/Vgb6lcL4Ki
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) August 25, 2023
Mills, a hero who was on the front lines of the troop withdrawal, helping to evacuate citizens, clearly has the authority to speak on the subject.
The Examiner noted:
Mills, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, is a veteran of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division and was the only member of Congress to have rescued people from the Taliban after the withdrawal. A candidate at the time, Mills conducted the first successful civilian overland rescue mission of Americans.
Mills released a statement clarifying why, exactly, he feels that Austin is no longer fit for duty.
“High-level officials in this administration blatantly ignored intel that Americans and our allied partners in Kabul would be left behind in harm’s way unless the U.S. corrected course in our withdrawal," his statement read.
The Florida Republican added, "Tomorrow marks two years to the day that we lost 13 of our brave service members. The fact that it has been two entire years without any member of this administration being held accountable is unfathomable. That changes today."
Mills was widely praised across social media for taking action on the issue. Only time will tell if he gathers the House support needed to take it to the next level.
