FORT MCCOY (WKOW) -- Touring one of the three U.S. military bases taking in Afghan refugees, Senator Ron Johnson Wednesday accused the Biden administration of hastily vetting the new arrivals.
Johnson, along with five GOP state lawmakers, drove around the base Wednesday morning and received briefings from Maj. Gen. Darrell Guthrie, who's overseeing the processing at Fort McCoy, as well as a representative from the U.S. State Department.
The lawmakers said they learned a little more than 1,000 Afghans were at Fort McCoy while the base was preparing to temporarily house as many as 10,000.
Johnson said his primary concern was honoring the wishes of veterans who served in Afghanistan; he noted veterans have been contacting lawmakers asking for their promise to protect Afghan civilians who protected them overseas.
"They know so many of these people," Johnson said. "They know they saved their lives so I want the American public to understand that's an important responsibility that America holds."
Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) had sent a critical letter to Gov. Tony Evers last week, calling for the governor to get more answers from the Biden administration on the vetting of refugees.
Testin's note drew the ire of conservative Afghanistan veteran Jason Church, who shared the story of one Afghan civilian who helped him in Afghanistan, only to be denied a Special Immigrant Visa after his hand was blown off while patrolling with Americans.
Testin struck a more moderate tone Wednesday, saying he was encouraged by the accommodations Afghans were receiving at Fort McCoy.
"They are receiving two warm meals a day; the goal is to up that to three in the near future so they are being taken care of very well," Testin said. "Medical screenings as they come in, they are being tested for COVID and taking proper protocols. They will have the option, if they so choose, to receive a COVID vaccine."
Governor Evers's office confirmed Evers was also at Fort McCoy Wednesday, although Evers was not available to take questions from statewide media who were at the base.
According to a press release from the governor's office, Evers and other officials were briefed on operations, planning, and medical processing by federal military personnel, got updates on Operation Allies Refuge and met with Afghan individuals already at Fort McCoy.
Conservatives blast Biden handling of evacuations
Johnson said he was concerned the Biden administration was rushing the process of getting Afghans into the country.
"If we let some people slip through that create acts of terror, that's gonna poison the entire operation and that would be a travesty," Johnson said.
The White House told Wisconsin media on a call Monday the Pentagon was performing "biometric and biographical" checks on Afghan evacuees during stops in third-party counties, mainly in Europe or Asia, before they land in the U.S. Johnson said he wasn't satisfied by the details presented to date by administration officials.
"Maybe they're taking biometrics now but you need biometrics having taken before hand you can compare them to," Johnson said. "It would be nice if we knew everyone had just an identification card; I'm hearing they don't."
Johnson cited conversations with Guthrie and other officials at the base, saying the lawmakers learned officials at the base had 10 days of advance notice before the first arrivals on Sunday.
President Joe Biden has said the U.S. did not initiate mass evacuations earlier because the Afghan government had resisted the idea, believing it would undermine its credibility. The Taliban overran the Afghan military in less than two weeks.
What's to come
State Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc), who served in Afghanistan, said he did not believe the public was at risk as long as Afghans were on a base. Kurtz said his concern was hearing from the State Department representative that the goal was to resettle refugees within 14 to 21 days of their processing at bases like Fort McCoy.
Kurtz acknowledged the State Department official said that was not a hard and fast timeline but said he was worried the process could be sped up if and when bases reach full capacity.
"We need to take time, once they get out of harm's way, to make sure- just take our time, make sure we're getting the right people and doing the proper vetting," Kurtz said.
Dawn Berney, Executive Director at Jewish Social Services - one of four Wisconsin agencies that settle refugees - said she hasn't received much new information since learning nearly two weeks ago her agency would have a quick turnaround time to begin resettling Afghans once they've been vetted.
Berney said she expected to learn more from the federal government either Friday or next Monday.
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On Fort McCoy tour, Johnson says Biden admin. is rushing refugee processing - WKOW
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