AUGUST 27, 2021 - PREPARED BY: RASKY PARTNERS, INC

WASHINGTON, DC WEEKLY UPDATE

AUGUST 27, 2021

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WASHINGTON, DC WEEKLY UPDATE

       INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL MOVES FORWARD
After contentious negotiations and delayed votes, House leaders agreed to a resolution this week
saying they will vote in late September on the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which
moderates would like to send to President Biden’s desk in advance of Congress’ consideration of
the large economic package. Moderate Democrats agreed to vote to proceed on the vehicle for
the $3.5 trillion economic package in exchange for having a date set for the infrastructure vote.

A group of lawmakers demanding action on the bipartisan infrastructure bill ahead of the
reconciliation package have simultaneously indicated hesitation with taking on drug-pricing
changes in the absence of GOP support. Ten Democrats wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in
May asking her to first “garner bipartisan, bicameral support” before advancing any drug-pricing
bills.

      SPENDING UPDATE
LAWMAKERS READY NEXT STEPS ON RECONCILIATION
The House this week also adopted the $3.5 trillion budget resolution in the wake of a White
House pressure campaign and assurances from Speaker Pelosi, which assisted in the unification
of the Democratic caucus. The 220-212 vote puts to rest an intra-party rift between progressives
and moderates which has threatened to derail Pelosi’s agenda.

The Senate has already cleared the budget resolution via a 50-49 party-line vote, and this week’s
House vote thus clears the way for the reconciliation process, wherein committees write the
details of the budget framework into tax and spending legislation which the House and Senate
will take to a vote this fall.

Democrats who are frustrated with the provisions ultimately excluded from the infrastructure bill
will work to ensure transportation and climate funding are included in the reconciliation bill. The
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is currently expecting to mark up its portion
of the budget resolution the week of Sept. 12. The White House has yet to comment on whether
they would now support the inclusion of similar transportation and climate investments in the
reconciliation package compared to what is in the infrastructure bill.

      NOMINATIONS UPDATES
NOTABLE UPDATES ON BIDEN CABINET NOMINEES INCLUDE:
    Damon Smith to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
        Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote
    William Holloway to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of
    Building Sciences
        Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote

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   Andrew Light to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy at the Department of Energy
       Confirmed by Senate by Voice Vote
   Alejandra Castillo to be Assistance Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development at
   the Department of Commerce
       Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote
   Kimberly Jones to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of
   Building Sciences
       Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote
   Gilbert Cisneros to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the
   Department of Defense
       Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote
   Taryn Mackenzie Williams to be an Assistance Secretary of Labor
       Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote

      AFGHANISTAN UPDATE – LATEST STATEMENTS FROM NEW
      ENGLAND MEMBERS

SENATOR COLLINS’ STATEMENT ON AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS KILLED IN
AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 26, 2021)
Washington, DC — U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the American
servicemembers killed in Afghanistan:

“Today’s catastrophic attack against American servicemembers and innocent Afghans was a
despicable act of terrorism. We owe a tremendous debt to the brave servicemembers who are
engaged in this evacuation effort, and we grieve this senseless loss of life. The Americans who
were killed today selflessly and courageously gave their lives to help desperate, innocent people,
and I offer my deepest condolences to their families.”

KING STATEMENT ON KABUL ATTACK (AUGUST 26, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released a statement
from Senator King following a terrorist attack outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in
Kabul. In the statement, Senator King expressed his sorrow and anger at this “tragic waste of
human life”, and continued his longstanding advocacy for action to protect the Afghan partners
who served alongside American servicemembers over the last 20 years.

“Today’s cowardly attack in Kabul served no purpose other than a tragic waste of human life –
including 13 U.S. servicemembers,” said Senator King. “The terrorists responsible for this heinous
attack must be tracked down and brought to justice. I am praying for the fallen, the injured, and
their families, as well as the brave servicemembers who continue to execute this noble mission.

“These attacks must not deter the United States and its allies from evacuating American citizens
and at-risk Afghans. U.S. servicemembers are performing admirably under difficult
circumstances, and the military is continuing to increase evacuations as the United States
engages in the largest airlift in our nation’s history – but at the same time, it is clear that more
must be done to save lives. In the days ahead, I will continue to remain in close contact with the
Administration to urge a safe, speedy process that protects servicemembers and brings our at-
risk partners to safety.”

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In July, Senator King cosponsored the Afghan Allies Protection Act, which was signed into law
last month, and joined a bipartisan group earlier this month urging the Biden Administration to
fully and immediately implement the law. In a June column for the Military Times, Senator King
cited that continued delays in the SIV process “very well be a death sentence for those who put
their lives on the line to help the United States”, in addition to potentially discouraging future
allies from working with American military efforts. He further highlighted America’s “moral and
ethical obligation” to our Afghan partners during a June floor speech urging action.

In June, Senator King pressed a top Defense Department nominee in Senate testimony for his
commitment to prioritize efforts to bring America’s Afghan partners to safety. In May, he joined a
bipartisan group of his colleagues to urge President Joe Biden to streamline the SIV program for
Afghan nationals who worked for or on behalf of the United States.

MURPHY STATEMENT ON DEVASTATING ATTACK ON KABUL AIRPORT (AUGUST
26, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign
Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on
Thursday released the following statement after ISIS carried out an attack at the airport in Kabul:

“I am devastated to hear the news of this heinous attack. These brave service members made the
ultimate sacrifice today while doing all they could to protect and defend Americans and our
allies. My heart breaks for the victims and those that lost loved ones today. I have already been in
contact with the State Department, and will continue to monitor this situation closely. Our nation
owes an enormous debt to the soldiers and diplomats who continue to carry out this heroic
evacuation mission,” said Murphy.

UPDATED SHAHEEN STATEMENT ON EXPLOSIONS IN KABUL (AUGUST 26, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate
Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, issued the following statement following
President Biden’s address to the American people in response to multiple explosions in Kabul on
Thursday, which resulted in numerous U.S. and Afghan casualties:

“My thoughts are with the families of U.S. troops whose lives were brutally taken and those who
have been injured in the line of duty, as well as the innocent Afghan civilians murdered in the
terrorist attacks today. The devastating attacks outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport
in Kabul underscore the increasingly dangerous and fluid security conditions on the ground in
Afghanistan. President Biden’s remarks to the American people tonight were necessary and I
support his commitment to hunt these terrorists down and make them pay. Our heroic service
members and the innocent Afghan men, women and children slaughtered in these barbaric
attacks deserve justice,” said Shaheen.

Shaheen continued, “As the U.S. continues its mission, it is paramount that the administration
expend every available resource to stabilize the security situation and speed up evacuations to
get U.S. citizens, troops and government personnel, as well as our coalition partners and Afghan
allies, out of harm’s way. We are up against the clock and time is running out. I urge the Biden
administration to continue working with our international partners on the ground to determine
the best course of action to swiftly complete evacuations. I join all Americans in expressing my
deepest gratitude to our service members and diplomats who are risking their lives to fulfill the

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U.S. mission. My office remains in contact with officials at the U.S. Departments of Defense and
State and I will continue to closely monitor developments out of Kabul.”

LARSON STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 26, 2021)
HARTFORD, CT — Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) released the following statement after the
terrorist attack outside of the Kabul airport, which injured and killed many people, including U.S.
servicemembers.

“My heart goes out to the families of the brave United States servicemembers who lost their lives
working to evacuate American citizens, Afghan partners and allies. We mourn them as well as
the innocent civilians lost today and condemn this terrible terrorist attack,” said Larson. “I support
President Biden’s decision to work with our military leaders and continue the mission to get
every American and ally out of Afghanistan. This is a very dangerous mission, and we forever owe
a debt of gratitude to those who put themselves in harm’s way in the service of America.”

DELAURO STATEMENT ON TERROR ATTACK OUTSIDE KABUL AIRPORT AND THE
U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS AND AFGHAN VICTIMS KILLED AND WOUNDED (AUGUST
26, 2021)
NEW HAVEN, CT — House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued this
statement on the terror attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport:

“I am horrified by today’s heinous attack outside the Kabul airport and condemn these cowardly
acts of terror. My heart breaks over the innocent lives taken today, and I mourn the loss of our
brave United States military members who were killed in service of this critical mission. I pray for
their families as they receive news of the loss of their loved ones and share in every American’s
gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice.

“I applaud President Biden for his commitment and determination: this mission is not over.
Through today’s devastation, we must remain committed to safely evacuating all American
service members and citizens, Afghan allies, and the vulnerable populations that will be targeted
by the Taliban.

“I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Biden Administration to ensure our military
and diplomats in Afghanistan have the tools they need to successfully complete this mission. I
am grateful for their steadfast courage.

“As the President said, we will not forgive, and we will not forget. In all that we do, may we honor
the lives of the heroes lost today and keep their families in our prayers.”

PAPPAS STATEMENT ON EXPLOSION OUTSIDE KABUL AIRPORT (AUGUST 26, 2021)
MANCHESTER, NH — Following the news of an explosion outside the Kabul airport, Congressman
Chris Pappas released the following statement:

“The death of American service members in Kabul is a tragedy. My thoughts are with their
families and loved ones, and we can never forget their sacrifice for our country and fellow
Americans who were in harm’s way. I continue to closely monitor the situation in Afghanistan. I
urge the administration to hold those responsible for this despicable attack accountable while
dedicating every resource to continuing the evacuation of Americans and our allies.”

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KUSTER STATEMENT ON TERRORIST ATTACKS IN KABUL, U.S. SERVICE
MEMBERS KILLED AND INJURED (AUGUST 26, 2021)
CONCORD, NH — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) released the following statement after
coordinated terrorist attacks in Kabul resulting in casualties among U.S. personnel:

“I join the nation in mourning the loss of the brave U.S. service members killed in today’s horrific
terror attacks in Kabul. My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of those who made the
ultimate sacrifice and those who were wounded. Our thoughts are with the U.S. military,
diplomatic, and intelligence personnel who are working tirelessly through incredibly difficult
circumstances to evacuate Americans, allies, and vulnerable Afghan citizens. The bloodshed
today is a heartbreaking reminder of the sacrifice that American service members make each
and every day to keep us safe.”

GOLDEN STATEMENT ON ATTACK AT KABUL AIRPORT (AUGUST 26, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — Following attacks by terrorist organizations in Afghanistan that have killed
American servicemembers, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following
statement.

“I am deeply saddened to learn that U.S. servicemembers have been killed and others wounded
by terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. The security mission that they are carrying out at the airport
in Kabul is critical to evacuating American citizens that are still in Afghanistan, and we should
honor their sacrifice by ensuring that the mission is completed and that no American is left
behind✎ EditSign.

“As I have said before, we must come together as a country in support of the troops on the
ground at the Kabul International Airport. Our top priority must be getting our citizens out
safely and then bringing our servicemembers home.

“The United States cannot let this attack on our troops go unanswered. We must respond with
strength to any attack on American citizens or servicemembers. The president must use his
authority to swiftly conduct offensive operations against ISIS-K and other threats in order to
disable their ability to put our servicemembers and the evacuation mission at risk.” -
Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

Golden, a Marine veteran who served in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been a strong
supporter of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan under both Presidents Trump and
Biden. Among other actions, he:

   Joined his colleagues on the For Country Caucus to urge President Biden to commit to
   keeping American troops on the ground in Kabul until all Americans who want to leave the
   country are evacuated, regardless of other deadlines;
   Voted to expand the Special Immigrant Visa program and provide more resources to
   expedite application processing;
   Has been raising the alarm with the administration since April, urging them to plan for and
   prioritize the processing of SIV and other visas available to Afghan partners;
   Has been a strong voice for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, laying out his
   argument in an op-ed for Newsweek earlier this year;
   Expressed his support for the Biden Administration’s plans to follow through on troop
   withdrawal; and
   Supported President Trump’s stated plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.

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JOINT STATEMENT FROM REPRESENTATIVES SETH MOULTON AND PETER
MEIJER ON THEIR RECENT VISIT TO KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 24, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — As has been publicly reported, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and
Peter Meijer (R-MI) recently traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, to conduct oversight on the mission
to evacuate Americans and our allies. After their departure, they issued the following statement:

As veterans we care deeply about the situation on the ground at Hamid Karzai International
Airport. America has a moral obligation to our citizens and loyal allies, and we must make sure
that obligation is being kept. Like many veterans, we have spent the last few weeks working
without sleep to try to get as many people as we could through the gates and to safety.

As Members of Congress, we have a duty to provide oversight on the executive branch. There is
no place in the world right now where oversight matters more. We conducted this visit in secret,
speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on
the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand. We left on a
plane with empty seats, seated in crew-only seats to ensure that nobody who needed a seat
would lose one because of our presence.

Washington should be ashamed of the position we put our service members in, but they
represent the best in America. These men and women have been run ragged and are still
running strong. Their empathy and dedication to duty are truly inspiring. The acts of heroism and
selflessness we witnessed at HKIA make America proud.

We came into this visit wanting, like most veterans, to push the president to extend the August
31st deadline. After talking with commanders on the ground and seeing the situation here, it is
obvious that because we started the evacuation so late, that no matter what we do, we won’t get
everyone out on time, even by September 11. Sadly and frustratingly, getting our people out
depends on maintaining the current, bizarre relationship with the Taliban.

In the coming days, we will have more to share with our colleagues and the American people
about what we learned, but after meeting with Marines, soldiers, and dedicated State
Department officials on the ground—we want the world to know first and foremost that we have
never been prouder to be Americans.

CHAIRMAN LYNCH AND CHAIRWOMAN MALONEY URGE STATE, DOD TO
EXPEDITE EVACUATIONS FROM AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 23, 2021)
WASHINGTON, DC — Last week, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the
Subcommittee on National Security, and U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of
the Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent a letterto U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III urging the Biden Administration to accelerate the
evacuation of U.S. citizens from Afghanistan, as well as Afghan nationals who served alongside
U.S. forces, political and civic leaders, and their family members, including women and girls who
are at an especially acute risk of political violence and retribution by the Taliban.

“The safety of U.S. citizens and government personnel is paramount, and we also have a moral
imperative to rescue our Afghan partners who served alongside and supported U.S. forces over
the last two decades,” the Chairs wrote. “To that end, we urge you to expedite your departments’
efforts to account for all American citizens who may remain in Afghanistan. In addition, the

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Biden Administration should make clear to the Taliban—in no uncertain terms—that they will
face severe repercussions if they take any action that jeopardizes the security of U.S. military and
civilian personnel at Hamid Karzai International Airport, limits or restricts safe passage to the
airfield, or otherwise interferes with the evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghan nationals.”
According to reports, as many as 10,000 to 15,000 U.S. citizens remain in Afghanistan, and
President Biden recently stated that approximately 50,000 to 65,000 Afghans are awaiting
evacuation assistance from the U.S. government.

In their letter, the Chairs stressed the importance of protecting Afghan women and girls who are
especially vulnerable to political violence and retribution from the Taliban.In the days since
returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have reportedly flogged Afghan women and
forced others to marry Taliban fighters.

“On Monday, President Biden told the American people that, following the U.S. withdrawal from
Afghanistan, ‘[w]e’ll continue to speak out for the basic rights of the Afghan people, of women
and girls, just as we speak out all over the world.’ That is an important step, but after twenty years
of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the women and girls of Afghanistan, we have an
obligation to do everything in our power to ensure that women and girls who rose to
prominence or sought to advance in Afghan society during the past two decades are not killed
by the Taliban for doing so,” the Chairs continued.

      WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK
The House and Senate will be out of session next week, though the Senate will have Pro Forma
sessions on Tuesday and Friday.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging will have a full committee hearing on August 30th at
10:00am titled “Eyes, Ears, and Teeth: Expanding Medicare to Cover Whole Person Care.” Kelly
Ranieli, Executive Director at Volunteers in Medicine, will testify.

The House Committee on Small Business will conduct a hearing on September 1st at 1:00pm
titled “What Comes Next? PPP Forgiveness.” Tracy Ward, Director of the SBA 504 Loan Program at
Self-Help Ventures Fund, will testify.

The House Committee on Armed Services will meet to markup H.R. 4350, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 on September 1st at 10:00am.