SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — U.S. Senator Roy Blunt says his most vivid memory of September 11, 2001, is of law enforcement and first responders as he was being evacuated from the Capitol.

“The last person I see who is still there is one of the Capital police, a woman I saw every day when I walked through that door of the building,” said Blunt. “It occurred to me and we were one of the last people to leave beside them. We were going but they were staying. And I think there was a moment there when Americans began to appreciate again in ways we hadn’t for a while. They were running to danger as others were allowed to run away from danger.”

The U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan left weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Blunt joined with other lawmakers in criticizing how the situation has been handled.

“The biggest suffers from that will be the Afghan people themselves,” said Blunt. “Particularly women and girls. But the world will suffer because we have allowed this group who are totally committed to opposing what we stand for to take over that country again. We are going to pay a price for this. Our allies don’t have the confidence they have had of us in the past.”