Rep. Matt Gaetz Calls for House Hearing on U.S. Foreign Policy Failures Endangering Troops in Africa

Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is urging the House Armed Services Committee to summon Secretary of State Antony Blinken for congressional testimony to assess how the State Department's failed foreign policy decisions have endangered U.S. forces in Africa. Gaetz has requested that the committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, convene an investigative hearing with Blinken to discuss the impact of misguided interagency foreign policy on the safety of American service members on the continent.

In a letter to Rogers, Gaetz outlined the interagency overlap between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of State (DoS), arguing that it provides a nexus for the House Armed Services Committee to oversee the State Department's Africa policy. He contends that under Blinken's leadership, the Stabilization Assistance Review (SAR) program, developed in 2018 to solidify a framework for DoS, DoD, and USAID collaboration on stabilization efforts abroad, has been jeopardized.

Why this matters: The planned departure of U.S. troops from Niger is viewed as a blow to Washington and its allies in the region, as Niger plays a central role in the U.S. military's operations in Africa's Sahel region. Gaetz's call for an investigative hearing highlights the potential consequences of foreign policy failures on the safety and effectiveness of American forces abroad.

Gaetz claims the Biden administration is actively suppressing intelligence reports about U.S. military relations in Niger and that troops are being held hostage without access to necessary supplies. He is requesting testimony from various officials, including Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, Assistant to the USAID Administrator for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization Robert Jenkins, and DoD Principal Director of Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy Joseph McMenamin, to ensure the Global Fragility Strategy is not negatively impacted by the State Department's recent failures in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

"The interagency foreign policy decisions relating to Africa have put service members on the continent in danger," Gaetz stated in his letter to Rogers. The congressman is seeking answers and accountability for the alleged missteps that have compromised the safety and mission of U.S. forces in the region.

Key Takeaways

• Rep. Gaetz urges House Armed Services Committee to summon Sec. Blinken for testimony
• Gaetz claims State Dept. policies have endangered U.S. troops in Africa's Sahel region
• Planned U.S. troop withdrawal from Niger seen as a blow to Washington and allies
• Gaetz requests testimony from officials on impact of State Dept. failures in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso
• Gaetz seeks answers and accountability for alleged missteps compromising U.S. forces' safety and mission