Afghanistan Times
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KABUL — Vermont Senator Peter Welch delivered a scathing speech on the Senate floor Friday, accusing the U.S. government of abandoning thousands of Afghan refugees due to a combination of executive inaction and funding cuts. He pointed to a Trump-era executive order that suspended refugee admissions and slashed USAID assistance, leaving vulnerable Afghan families exposed to persecution.
“These are individuals who worked with and for our government, our soldiers, diplomats, and intelligence officers,” Welch said. “We have abandoned our partners in their time of need.”
Welch emphasized the urgent need for Congress to overhaul the refugee resettlement system, noting the strain on local organizations such as the Vermont Afghan Alliance, which has taken in many displaced families.
“Resettlement is the responsibility of the federal government,” he stressed. “Not small nonprofits.”
The senator also warned that ongoing aid cuts in Afghanistan are damaging U.S. credibility abroad and could compromise national security.
