House Republicans moved Tuesday to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress over claims he obstructed their investigation into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
House Foreign Affairs Chair Michael McCaul (R-Texas) had subpoenaed Blinken, requiring him to testify on Tuesday. But the secretary of state responded he’d be in New York for events surrounding the U.N. General Assembly. Blinken reiterated “I am willing to testify” but said he is “profoundly disappointed” by the committee’s insistence on unilateral dates “during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives.”
That argument didn’t sway McCaul.
“I hereby adjourn this hearing and intend to proceed with a markup to begin the formal process of holding the secretary in contempt of Congress,” McCaul said at the outset of the meeting — noting Blinken’s absence.
In a draft report, McCaul said Blinken failed to comply with his Sept. 18 subpoena.
Blinken would be the third of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to face a formal floor rebuke by the GOP-led House. Lawmakers held Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress back in June and impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in February. The Senate swiftly dispensed with the charges against Mayorkas and the Justice Department declined to prosecute Garland.
House Republicans are planning more actions related to the Afghanistan withdrawal this week, highlighting what is generally regarded as a Biden administration failure just weeks before the election. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on a resolution to condemn 15 Biden officials, including Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris, for “decisionmaking and execution failures throughout the withdrawal.”
