Secretary of State Antony Blinken May Face Contempt Charges – Watch
House Republicans are considering charging Secretary of State Antony Blinken with contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over a key memo related to the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The memo, which was written by State Department officials in July 2021, warned that the Taliban could quickly take control of Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal. However, the Biden administration ignored the warning and went ahead with the withdrawal, which resulted in the Taliban quickly taking over the country and the deaths of 13 U.S. service members.
Republicans have been demanding the memo for months, but the Biden administration has refused to turn it over. In a letter to Blinken on Friday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) threatened to hold Blinken in contempt of Congress if he does not comply with the subpoena by May 11.
“We’ve given them ample time,” McCaul said. “Three extensions of time we tried to work this out, but unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that that’s going to work, and the next step will be to move to contempt proceedings.”
“The Department is now in violation of its legal obligation to produce the subpoenaed documents,” McCaul wrote. “Your failure to comply with this subpoena is a serious matter that will not be tolerated.”
If Blinken is held in contempt of Congress, it would be a major escalation in the ongoing battle between the Biden administration and Republicans over the Afghanistan withdrawal. It could also lead to a vote in the House of Representatives to hold Blinken in contempt, which would be a significant rebuke of the Biden administration.
The Biden administration has defended its decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, arguing that it was the right thing to do after 20 years of war. However, Republicans have accused the Biden administration of bungling the withdrawal, which they say led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the collapse of the Afghan government.
The contempt of Congress threat is the latest sign that Republicans are determined to hold the Biden administration accountable for the Afghanistan withdrawal. It remains to be seen whether the Biden administration will comply with the subpoena, but the contempt of Congress threat is a clear sign that Republicans are not going to back down.
Sec. Blinken faces contempt of Congress charge after ignoring multiple House subpoenas https://t.co/yv1tTQ1sTz
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 8, 2023
