Dear Neighbor,Like you, I am deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis that has begun to unfold.My office has heard from dozens in our community who are worried for family members and loved ones who remain in Afghanistan. We are doing all we can to work with officials at the State Department to ensure their safety, and I continue to urge the Biden Administration to use all possible means to facilitate the safe evacuation of American personnel, their Afghan partners who served alongside them, and others who are now at great risk – including women, children, journalists, and NGO workers.To that end, I want to give you a brief look at some of the recent actions I've taken to ensure the United States has the capability and infrastructure necessary to provide for their safety:I led the effort in Congress to provide resources to speed up Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) processing for our Afghan partners through remote interviews, increased staffing, and increased whole-of-government coordination.Last week, several of my colleagues and I urged President Biden to mobilize all available resources to evacuate Afghans who helped our troops, and others threatened by the Taliban, from Kabul.I am a cosponsor of the ALLIES Act, which makes available thousands of additional SIVs and eases burdensome qualifications that must be met to obtain such visas. The House passed the bill last month.I'm also an original cosponsor of the Afghan Allies Protection Act, which would make available thousands more additional SIVs.For years, I've partnered with organizations in our community like No One Left Behind to secure employment verification for Afghan SIVs and successfully facilitate their resettlement here in Northern Virginia.I have called for and continue to support extraordinary efforts to help evacuate and resettle SIVs and their families on an emergency basis, including the relocation of a group of Afghan SIVs to Fort Lee in Virginia.This is an ongoing and highly volatile situation. There will be plenty of time for a critical assessment of the decades we spent in Afghanistan, and there will be plenty of time to debate the geopolitics of our withdrawal. Right now, our top priority must be the immediate safety of American servicemembers and diplomatic personnel, as well as that of our Afghan partners.I am committed to seeing that effort through. If someone you know is affected by the situation in Afghanistan and in need of assistance, please don't hesitate to call my office at (703) 256-3071.Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and remember that my office is here to help. Be sure to visit my website for more information and resources. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.