Chairman Lynch to Hold Subcommittee Hearing with Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction

Washington D.C. (Mar. 10, 2021)—On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, will hold a hearing with Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko.

The hearing will examine the eight areas of U.S. reconstruction activity in Afghanistan that SIGAR has identified in its "2021 High-Risk List" as especially vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. According to the report, stalled intra-Afghan peace negotiations, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a deteriorating security environment, and the recent withdrawal of U.S. and Coalition forces put reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan "at greater risk than ever before."

The hearing will also consider how the scheduled withdrawal of U.S military forces from Afghanistan in May 2021 might affect ongoing reconstruction efforts and prospects for a peace agreement that protects the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls.