GOP struggles for united Afghanistan messaging: The Note

Republicans will grapple with how to respond to a president at a low point and a nation conflicted about what should come next.

The TAKE with Rick Klein Republicans get their first legislative crack at influencing the Biden administration's Afghanistan policy on Wednesday. That's not to say they're certain what to do with it. While GOP lawmakers have found uncommon unity in condemning President Joe Biden's actions, the party's Trump-era fissures on foreign policy and national security are just below the surface -- even while party strategists disagree on whether the issue will resonate with voters at all. The House Armed Services Committee's markup of the must-pass annual defense authorization bill has drawn north of 50 Afghanistan-related amendments, in a first chance for Republicans to push for some of the "accountability" House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has promised.