America finalizes the Afghanistan withdrawal ... and Kinzinger laments the direction of the GOP

From NBC's Ben Kamisar If it's Sunday, what happens when the Forever War ends?   The American withdrawal from Afghanistan is almost complete, as the country tries to untangle itself from one of the most complex foreign policy quagmires in modern history.    Sen. Jack Reed, the Rhode Island Democrat and chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, defended President Joe Biden's timeline for withdrawal as the "best of many poor choices," but said America should still remain involved supporting the Afghan government.  "The job's not over. This is not a closure, this is a transition."    —Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, on "Meet the Press." But amid serious uncertainty as to the fate of the region, Biden is facing criticism with the Taliban making swift gains across the country.    That's why Illinois GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars himself, called the move a "crushing defeat," and predicted that America may ultimately have to go back into the country.  "The Taliban always had a saying: 'America has the watches, but we have the time.'"    —Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., on "Meet the Press." Kinzinger on the future of the GOP Kinzinger also addressed the future of the Republican Party, a political party that appears to be drifting further away from vocal critics of former President Donald Trump.    Pointing to criticism of former Vice President Mike Pence from Trump supporters, Kinzinger argued that Republicans have been left with just two choices: "You either have to be a zombie for the MAGA belief-system, whatever that is today or tomorrow ... or actually stand up and tell your constituents the truth."  TWEET OF THE DAY: The number of the week DATA DOWNLOAD: Extreme weather intensifies in 2021 As Washington continues to stalemate on addressing climate change, it's been a year of extreme weather events — Tropical Storm Elsa, an intense heat wave and the Texas winter storm among them   Click here to read more from Data Download.  ICYMI: Remember the Texas GOP voting bill A little more than a month after Texas Democrats successfully delayed GOP attempts to pass a restrictive voting bill through the state legislature, a new version of the bill is back and moving through the state House.    Click here to read more on the latest.  Thanks for reading.   If you're a fan, please forward this newsletter to a friend. They can sign-up here.   And check what time Meet the Press airs in your area so you never miss a broadcast.  Follow Meet The Press Download the NBC News Mobile App Privacy Contact Unsubscribe