Washington – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) and Gold Star family members Coral Briseno, Darin Hoover, Cheryl Jules, Alicia Lopez, Steve Nikoui, Mark Schmitz, and Christy Shamblin issued the following statement after last night’s State of the Union address.
“Last night was a lost opportunity – once again – for President Biden to finally speak in public about the 13 servicemembers lost in the bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. Once again, he was silent.
“So a Gold Star family member spoke out instead. He made sure the President heard the words “Abbey Gate”, where his son and 12 other heroes fell in service to our country. He spoke for all of us. And he did nothing wrong. His frustration, anger, and disappointment follow more than two-and-a-half years of delay, denial, and silence.
“Since August 2021, the Gold Star families have not only endured the loss of loved ones but also the absence of any true accountability.
“Despite numerous requests to meet with President Biden at any time and any location of his choosing, he has ignored them all. He has refused to even reply. To this day, he has never once publicly spoken the names of the fallen.
“The families have been denied the personal possessions of their loved ones. They have been denied their rightful access to military bases as clearly allowed by law. And they’ve been denied any kind of complete accounting of the events of that day. Biden has never made this right.
“With the families in attendance, the President could have changed course, promised to deliver accountability as a Commander-in-Chief should, and pledged to work to ensure it never happens again.
“He said nothing. But we will never be silent. This isn’t over.”
Coral Briseno is the mother of Marine Corps Corporal Humberto A. Sanchez.
Darin Hoover is the father of Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover.
Cheryl Jules is the aunt of Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee.
Alicia Lopez is the mother of Marine Corps Corporal Hunter Lopez.
Steve Nikoui is the father of Marine Corps Lance Corporal Kareem M. Nikoui.
Mark Schmitz is the father of Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz.
Christy Shamblin is the mother-in-law of Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee.
Darrell Issa is the Representative of California’s 48th Congressional District. The District encompasses the central and eastern parts of San Diego County and a portion of Riverside County, including the communities of Fallbrook, Valley Center, Ramona, Escondido, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Temecula, Murrieta, and the mountain and desert areas of the San Diego-Imperial County line. Issa served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2011-2015.
