Congress bestows its highest honor on the 13 troops killed during Afghanistan withdrawal

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is hosting a ceremony to posthumously present Congress’ highest honor — the Congressional Gold Medal — to 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. But the politics of a presidential election are swirling around the event. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the legislation to honor the 13 U.S. troops. They were killed along with more than 170 Afghans in a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s Airport in August 2021. The event is taking place against the backdrop of a bitter back-and-forth over who is to blame for the rushed and deadly evacuation from Kabul.