(GoRealNewsNow.com) – The GOP-led House is pushing forward with a significant move against Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stemming from the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
The tension centers on documents that the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), believes are crucial to understanding the withdrawal’s execution.
On Thursday, McCaul announced a forthcoming resolution that could mark Blinken as the first Secretary of State in history to be held in contempt of Congress. This drastic step is being considered because Blinken allegedly did not comply with a subpoena issued in July, demanding specific documents.
McCaul stated, “It has been nearly 14 months since we first requested these documents that are critical to our investigation in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. The ball is in the secretary’s court – if he wants to avoid being the first Secretary of State in history to be held in contempt of Congress, he can provide these documents.”
In a recent letter McCaul made it clear that the committee was poised to act against Blinken if the State Department failed to deliver the requested interview notes used in drafting the After-Action Review on the Afghanistan withdrawal. This comes after “countless” accommodations were reportedly made to facilitate the document handover.
Responding to these allegations State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized the department’s efforts to cooperate by providing thousands of pages of documents and facilitating interviews. He acknowledged the committee’s oversight role but highlighted the Executive Branch’s need to protect certain confidentialities.
Miller expressed hope for resolving the dispute saying, “The department will be in contact with the Foreign Affairs Committee and ‘try’ to reach a resolution before the mark-up session can take place next week.”
However this standoff has been criticized by Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats who argue that the State Department has engaged with the committee in good faith. They view McCaul’s threat to hold Blinken in contempt as a mere “political stunt.”
This is part of a series of conflicts between the House and the Biden administration as the president gears up for re-election.
Notably this month saw Republicans vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over border management issues and a corruption-focused impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden is underway.
Additionally, GOP lawmakers have recently scrutinized Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for his lack of transparency regarding his health.