Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said Tuesday that she opposed the proposed prisoner swap to secure the freedom of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2011 while she chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“I can reaffirm that I, and many of my colleagues, strongly stated our opposition to any deal for Sgt. Bergdahl that would in any way benefit the Taliban or jeopardize the safety and security of our brave men and women in uniform who placed their lives on the line day in and day out to protect their fellow servicemen and women, our country, and our national security interests,” Ros-Lehtinen’s office said in a statement.
Ros-Lehtinen also said she was “outraged and disgusted” that the White House had “legitimize Hamas” and “embolden the Taliban.”
Ros-Lethinen’s comments came on the same day Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner said they were not told of the deal in advance by the White House. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was also not told about the exchange until Saturday.
The only Congressional leader told of the deal ahead of time was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, according to Politico.
