Democratic Lawmakers Plan Push To Get Controversial Biden Adviser Out Of Office

Democrats in the House of Representatives are discussing asking President Joe Biden for the resignation of Brett McGurk, his deeply controversial Middle East adviser, according to a Democratic lawmaker and a senior congressional aide.

Led by progressives who see McGurk as driving a counterproductive Middle East policy with an unacceptable human rights toll, the effort would take the form of a letter to Biden from a group of House Democrats, they said.

A draft has already been written and supporters of the bid expect to secure between 10 and 15 signatories, the lawmaker told HuffPost. The plan is to circulate the letter widely next week and raise the proposal at the next meeting of the powerful Congressional Progressive Caucus, which has more than 100 members.

Frustration “has reached a boiling point” among Democrats who see McGurk as responsible for harmful policies that undermine Biden’s support, the lawmaker said. Sources for this story requested anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations. Spokespeople for McGurk declined to comment.

The White House adviser has faced significant criticism since he became White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa when Biden entered office in 2021.

Skeptics say that he wrongly focused Biden’s Middle East policy on deepening U.S. ties to Saudi Arabia — a risky proposition given its record of rights abuses that implicate the U.S., and its resistance to Washington’s requests on matters from drawing closer to Russia and China to preventing spikes in oil prices.

In announcing McGurk’s appointment, Biden cast him as one of a group of “ crisis-tested, deeply experienced public servants [who] will work tirelessly to protect the American people and restore America’s