Walberg Amendments on Afghanistan Accountability and America's Wireless Leadership Pass the House

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-07) voted in support of H.R. 4350, 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides the funding authority for the Armed Forces and a pay increase for servicemembers. The defense bill included two amendments offered by Walberg and passed with bipartisan support, including one to increase accountability over the seizure of billions of dollars of U.S. military equipment by the Taliban. The second Walberg amendment will enhance America's leadership in the development of wireless standards to push back against international competitors like Russia and China.

"President Biden's bungled exit from Afghanistan was an abject failure on so many levels, and to this day there are still Americans stranded in the terrorist-controlled country. The stunning amount of U.S military equipment--from Humvees to helicopters--that was left behind in the Taliban's hands represents a grave national security threat. It is unfortunate that Congress would even need to require the Pentagon to report on the Taliban's capability of selling this treasure trove of advanced weaponry to our enemies, but I am glad my colleagues came together to pass this important amendment," said Walberg. "The National Defense Authorization Act has a long history of bipartisanship to support our troops and keep Americans safe, and I am proud to successfully offer amendments to hold the Biden Administration accountable and strengthen our nation's leadership on the global stage."

Background:
During consideration of H.R. 4350, Congressman Walberg successfully offered two amendments that were adopted:

Walberg Amendment #455 - Requires an evaluation of the capabilities of the Taliban post-withdrawal to monetize through the transfer of abandoned covered Unites States equipment, property, and classified material to adversaries of the United States.
Walberg Amendment #456 - Promotes United States leadership in standards-setting bodies that set standards for 5G networks and for future generations of wireless communications networks; encourages participation by companies and a wide variety of relevant stakeholders (not including any company or relevant stakeholder that the Assistant Secretary has determined to be not trusted) in such standards-setting bodies.

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