Rep. Paul Gosar Calls Out Kamala Harris and Lloyd Austin Over Lies About Active-Duty Troops in Combat Zones
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) fired off a letter to Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, seeking a correction to Harris’ lies about active-duty military troops who are placed in harm’s way in the Middle East.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Kamala Harris falsely bragged in the September 10 debate with President Trump that there are no American men and women serving in a combat zone today.
This was instantly fact-checked by U.S. Military troops serving in a combat zone who were watching this in real time.
VIDEO: US Soldiers Give Kamala Harris the MOST BRUTAL FACT-CHECK in Debate History!
Americans are not only serving in dangerous areas and war zones; they are still being injured and killed, as Gosar's letter to Harris and Austin notes.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Gosar also sent a letter to Lloyd Austin in February highlighting and requesting information regarding the military's presence in the Middle East following an airstrike that killed three troops and injured over 40 Arizona National Guardsmen at Tower 22 in Jordan. "In the response, the DOD claims U.S. troops are deployed to the Middle East to counter Iranian influence, but could not discuss the status of service members overseas," Gosar writes.
While Kamala Harris claims that not a single American troop is currently serving in a combat zone, Gosar emphasizes that a June 2024 press release from the U.S. Central Command states, "From January to June 2024, ISIS has claimed 153 attacks in Iraq and Syria" and underlines ISIS's pathway to "more than double the total number of attacks they claimed in 2023."
The Arizona Republican further suggests that Harris's denial of troops in combat zones infers that these troops do not deserve combat pay or will be withdrawn before they can receive increased pay.
"These false statements dishonor the men and women still stationed abroad and those American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation," Gosar writes, adding, "Vice President Harris's public denial of their presence in combat zones is detrimental to morale."
Gosar's letter to Austin and Harris concludes with the following ask:
I request that you immediately correct the record. These false statements dishonor the men and women still stationed abroad and those American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in defenseof our nation. Further, I respectfully request the following information:
- If the belief is still held that there are no troops in combat zones, how do you define the term, "combat zone?"
- Does the term differ in use by the White House compared to the DOD?
- Please provide a list of the combat zones recognized by the White House.
- How many active duty service members are stationed in combat zones?
- Are these service members receiving combat pay, also known as imminent danger pay?
- How many members of the Arizona National Guard are still deployed to Jordan?
- Is the mission in Iraq still to counter Iran or has the mission evolved?
- How does this affect greater risk to service members?
- How is the DoD protecting U.S. service members overseas from this known pattern of attacks?
- The Congressional Research Service reports there are eight permanent bases and 1 other U.S. military sites in the Middle East. Is this accurate?
- Reuters reported the United States is planning to withdraw some U.S. troops from Iraq in 2025. Is this accurate?
• Is there aplan to withdraw our service members from any ofthese foreign facilities?
Read the full letter here.
From Rep Paul Gosar's office:
This week I sent letter to Vice President Harris and Department of Defense Secretary Austin in response to recent false claims by the Vice President that “there is not one member of the United States miliary who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.” This is a bold face lie. In fact, the United States has 2,500 troops being fired or in harm’s way in Iraq and 900 troops in Syria, both designated combat zones. U.S. naval ships are under constant attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Kamala’s latest lie is particularly galling here at home. Last September, more than 350 Arizona Guardsmen were deployed to the Middle East as part of Task Force Spartan in support of CENTCOM. Tragically, on January 28, 2024, a drone strike in Jordan killed three U.S. service members and injured over forty others. Most of the injured were members of the 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry Regiment, or “Bushmasters,” of the Arizona National Guard, including Guardsmen from Phoenix, Tucson, Florence, Prescott, and Buckeye.
Kamala Harris cannot dishonor our troops for political gain, nor should our service members overseas feel abandoned by their country. VP Harris’ public denial of their presence in combat zones is detrimental to morale and is a slap in the face to all brave men and women in combat’s harm.
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