A bipartisan group of 51 lawmakers is calling on House negotiators to keep funding flowing to a visa program for Afghans fleeing the takeover of their country by the Taliban.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) wrote a letter to top House appropriators who are continuing to negotiate remaining federal funding for fiscal year 2025. Sent.
“We urge you to preserve the key provisions of the Afghanistan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program 1 in the fiscal year 2025 appropriations package. is important for the review and transfer of major applicants,” they wrote to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and others.
This comes after President-elect Trump pledged to commit to deep spending cuts in future fights over federal funding. “The United States will save hundreds of billions of dollars in spending next year through settlements,” he wrote in Truth Social last week.
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Lawmakers are pushing to preserve the Afghan visa program as President-elect Donald Trump vows to make deep spending cuts. (Getty Images)
Those close to President Trump, including some House Republicans, have called for the president to have more control over how money appropriated by Congress is spent.
Meanwhile, President Trump last month named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to chair a cost-cutting advisory committee called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Both men have already established themselves as influential players in Congress’ spending debates, leading a revolt against a 1,547-page government funding bill that was the result of bipartisan negotiations. But they haven’t said what spending cuts they hope Congress will make.
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Reps. Jason Crow and Zach Nunn, both veterans, led the bipartisan letter. (Getty Images)
The 51 members of Congress calling for the continuation of Afghanistan’s SIV program said it would be a “lifesaving security move for Afghans who face grave risks as a result of collaboration with U.S. military, diplomats, and contractors.” It claims to be a road.
“Congress must continue this effort and allow the State Department to issue visas to eligible Afghans who face an imminent threat from the Taliban, Islamic State, or other hostile groups for their service to the United States and our allies. It must be done,” he said.
Afghanistan’s SIV program was first established in 2009, but took on new importance after the Taliban took over Afghanistan with lightning speed in 2021. This prompted a decades-long U.S. withdrawal from the Middle Eastern country.
According to the letter, Congress has authorized additional visas under the program each year since fiscal year 2019.
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Congressional negotiators have so far failed to reach an agreement on spending for fiscal year 2025, forcing lawmakers to pass two extensions of last year’s funding levels to prevent a partial government shutdown. has been done.
The latest extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), gives lawmakers until March 14 to strike a deal.
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, where she leads coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines can be found on the Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow @liz_elkind on Twitter and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com.
