House Committee on Oversight and Accountability investigates closure of US embassies

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is conducting oversight of the Biden Administration’s series of embassy closures and partial evacuations around the world, Report informs, citing the committee's statement.

According to the statement, Comer is investigating the suspension of the US Embassy in Minsk in 2022 and the removal of employees and their families from the US Embassy in Moscow.

In addition, it focuses on the closure of the US diplomatic missions in Afghanistan and Sudan, and the partial evacuation of US diplomatic missions in Niger, Myanmar, and Haiti.

These closures and service reductions are leading to a diminished US diplomatic presence abroad. Closures and reduced service status have serious implications for US citizens residing in those countries, as well as foreign nationals who must travel elsewhere to access consular services, Comer said.

The Committee is also concerned about the repeated necessity of withdrawing US personnel, and whether deteriorating conditions in those countries are the result, even in part, of failed US foreign policy. The Committee therefore requests a briefing from the Department on this trend.