White House Advisor John Kirby Accused of Dismissing Veterans' Concerns

A House Republican is calling for veterans to hold White House advisor John Kirby accountable after an email surfaced in which Kirby allegedly dismissed their concerns about the Afghanistan withdrawal. Meanwhile, the House is expected to vote this week on a $3 billion supplemental funding bill for veterans' care.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., spoke to Fox News' "America's Newsroom" on Tuesday, expressing outrage over an email allegedly sent by White House advisor John Kirby that appeared to dismiss the concerns of veterans about the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

White House Advisor John Kirby Accused of Dismissing Veterans' Concerns

"It's time for veterans to call him out," Mills said. "John Kirby's email shows a complete lack of respect for those who served our country."

The email, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, was sent in response to an inquiry about the concerns raised by veterans groups regarding the withdrawal. In the email, Kirby reportedly wrote, "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to address this issue."

White House Advisor John Kirby Accused of Dismissing Veterans' Concerns

Mills said that Kirby's email was "insulting" and that it "adds insult to injury" for the veterans who have been struggling since the withdrawal.

"These veterans deserve answers," Mills said. "They deserve to know why they were left behind and why they are now being denied the care and benefits they need."

White House Advisor John Kirby Accused of Dismissing Veterans' Concerns

Mills called on Kirby to apologize and to meet with veterans groups to hear their concerns.

"John Kirby needs to apologize for his dismissive attitude and he needs to start listening to the veterans who served this country," Mills said.

White House Advisor John Kirby Accused of Dismissing Veterans' Concerns

The House is expected to vote early this week on a $3 billion supplemental funding bill for veterans' care. The bill is intended to address a shortfall in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that could result in 7 million veterans losing benefits by Oct. 1.

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., who is spearheading the bill, said that he is hopeful that the legislation has enough support to pass.

"We just need the Senate and the president to understand the value of our veterans," Garcia said. "When they do, we'll fix the problem."

The VA warned Congress in July that it was about $3 billion short of the funding it needed for the current fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, and about $12 billion short of its projected needs in the following one.

Garcia's bill would also mandate the VA to issue a report on the shortfall to Congress and to provide additional accountability measures to ensure future funds are managed properly.

"It is something that affects not just the 7 million veterans, but also their families and everyone around depending on those checks," Garcia said.

Garcia expressed concerns that the veterans' funding bill could get caught up in the broader government funding negotiations, which have been politically contentious.

"Because this turns into a pumpkin on Sept. 20, we don't really have time to tie this to a CR package," he said. "And I would suggest to leadership that we shouldn't use our veterans as political leverage for other legislative initiatives."

The House bill has the support of senior GOP lawmakers House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., and House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill. It comes after a similar legislative push was mounted in the Senate in August.