The Pentagon has submitted a formal request to Congress to “reprogram” $400 million for Afghan refugee evacuation efforts.
The request comes amid a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan thrown into chaos over recent weeks as the Taliban swiftly toppled the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
A spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee said the panel “has received and is in the process of reviewing the reprogramming request from the department.”
The spokesman said Chairman Adam Smith, Washington Democrat, “has been following the developments in Afghanistan very closely and continues to believe that our current focus must be the rapid evacuation of U.S. personnel, Afghan nationals that have supported the military, as well as their families, and other Afghan nationals that may be in danger due to their work on humanitarian or human rights issues.”
“The committee will keep this priority in mind as the reprogramming request is evaluated,” he said.
The funds would be used for transportation and housing of refugees, according to Punchbowl News, which first reported the request Friday.
The Pentagon reported Friday that the military has flown approximately 13,000 evacuees out of Afghanistan since the start of noncombatant evacuation operations began on Aug. 14. The figure includes U.S. citizens, embassy personnel, and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants.
The military has evacuated 18,000 people since July, according to the Pentagon.
Amid growing calls from lawmakers, the Biden administration announced Operation Allies Refuge last month, designed to relocate those who have applied for Special Immigrant Visas, a program for foreign nationals who assist the U.S. military and government, to countries outside of Afghanistan to await final approval to immigrate to the U.S.
The effort is coordinated by the State Department, with representatives from the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security also involved.
The State Department initially expected to relocate 2,500 Afghans through Operation Allies Refuge, including 700 principal SIV applicants and their families.
The State Department maintains a backlog of 18,000 SIV applicants, and close to 50,000 immediate family members. The backlog could take until next year to process.
In July, Congress approved more than $1 billion for the Afghan SIV program and refugee resettlement assistance divided between the Pentagon, State Department, and Health and Human Services as part of an emergency security supplemental to reimburse the Capitol Police and National Guard for their deployments during the Jan. 6 riot.
The $400 million request is in addition to the funds allocated in July.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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