Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is reintroducing legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ramp up vetting for Afghan evacuees brought to America following the U.S. military's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Hawley first introduced the legislation in the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal, but it failed to make its way through Congress. The bill, the Afghanistan Vetting and Accountability Act, would require DHS to verify the biometric and personal information of all Afghan evacuees, as well as conduct in-person vetting interviews with the same.
The legislation would also cut off all federal aid to Afghan evacuees who have not undergone the vetting process, as well as require the DHS to provide Congress with quarterly updates on the vetting process.
"Joe Biden didn't just botch our withdrawal from Afghanistan, he put Americans at risk by allowing tens of thousands of refugees into our country without proper vetting," Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement. "My bill is going to codify into law what President Trump started: we're going to protect our heroes and ensure anyone allowed into our country is not a threat to our own citizens."
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The new bill comes roughly a week after an Afghan evacuee allowed into the U.S. under Biden was charged with shooting two National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died of her wounds. The other, Andrew Wolfe, remains in critical condition.
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The alleged gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, faces multiple charges, including one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the Justice Department would pursue the death penalty against the suspect.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. under Biden's "Operation Allies Welcome," which critics say failed to properly vet thousands of Afghan evacuees.
Another Afghan national, Mohammad Dawood Alokozay, was arrested the same week for posting a video of himself on TikTok indicating he was building a bomb with an intended target of the Fort Worth area in Texas. Alokozay also entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome.
Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.
