Washington, D.C. – Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Chairman of the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security, joined a high-level bipartisan Congressional delegation led by Speaker Pelosi to Jordan and Afghanistan over the weekend.  The Congressional delegation first traveled to Jordan for meetings with King Abdullah II and top U.S. government officials, where they visited the U.S. Embassy in Amman and had the opportunity to thank members of the U.S. Marine detachment.  The delegation also received detailed briefings by Chargé d’Affaires Karen Sasahara, senior diplomats and military officials.  The trip concluded with a visit to Afghanistan, meeting with President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, top U.S. military commanders and diplomats, senior Afghan government officials and civil society leaders.  The delegation also traveled to Camp Morehead to meet with Resolute Support Mission troops.  

“Our meetings in Jordan gave us a close-up view of the situation in Syria and the aftershock of President Trump’s decision to abandon our Kurdish allies,” said Rep. Lynch.  “Being able to travel to our forward operating base in Afghanistan gave me a chance to hear from our Special Forces personnel and understand their ongoing operations against the Taliban, as well as the ISIS-Khorasan terrorist group.  We have an obligation to support our military in the field and make sure they have the resources they need to succeed in their mission.”

“Meeting with and hearing directly from our troops and diplomats on the ground is essential for Congress to conduct effective oversight of our mission in Afghanistan,” said Speaker Pelosi.  “We will return to Washington strengthened with the facts and the first-hand knowledge we have gathered at this critical time for our nation’s Afghanistan policy and inspired by the courage of our servicemembers and diplomats on the front lines.”

The Members of the bipartisan Congressional delegation included:

• Congressman Stephen Lynch, Chairman, House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on National Security
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, House Armed Services Committee
• Chairman Eliot Engel, House Foreign Affairs Committee
• Chairman Bennie Thompson, Homeland Security Committee
• Chairman Adam Schiff, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Congressman Ron Kind, House Ways and Means Committee
• Congresswoman Susan Davis, House Armed Services Committee
• Congresswoman Elaine Luria, House Armed Services Committee