Congressional leaders on Tuesday posthumously gave their highest honor to the 13 U.S. service members killed during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan three years ago.

The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony, hosted by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in the Capitol Rotunda, was attended by the sometimes emotional family members of those killed in the suicide bombing, which took place at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.

“To the families who are here, I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them: We are sorry. The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops. Those fallen and wounded at Abbey Gate deserved our best efforts,” Johnson said in opening remarks, referring to the location where the Americans were killed in the Aug. 26, 2021 attack.

“The families who have been left to pick up the pieces continue to deserve transparency and appreciation and recognition,” he added.

Johnson was accompanied by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries........

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