Antony Blinken was subpoenaed to testify at a hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal but did not appear due to U.N. engagements. He expressed willingness to testify, but the House Foreign Affairs Committee initiated contempt-of-Congress proceedings against him for failing to comply with the subpoena. Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul opened the hearing where Blinken was supposed to testify and emphasized the empty witness table. Despite Blinken’s letter explaining his U.N. engagements, the committee proceeded with contempt proceedings. Blinken had offered reasonable alternatives for testimony dates but was unable to appear due to conflicting engagements. The committee had been requesting Blinken’s appearance since May, leading to a subpoena on Sept. 3. The hearing, initially set for Sept. 19, was rescheduled to Sept. 24 due to Blinken’s prior commitments. The ongoing oversight into the Afghanistan withdrawal has been led by Republicans, highlighting the chaotic end of the war in August 2021. The committee wanted Blinken to testify on a report that placed blame solely on the Biden administration for the withdrawal’s disastrous outcome. Despite efforts to accommodate Blinken’s schedule, the committee accused him of being disingenuous in avoiding testimony.
According to a 2017 Congressional Research Service analysis, contempt power is how Congress deals with actions that obstruct the legislative process.
If someone refuses to testify, provide information, or obstruct a Congressional committee inquiry, Congress can vote to hold them “in contempt.”
Congress has used contempt authority as an implied power since 1795, even though it is not explicitly stated in the Constitution. There are two types of contempt citations: criminal and civil.
The resolution suggests that Blinken should be prosecuted for criminal contempt, but this decision would ultimately be made by the U.S. Department of Justice before being voted on by a chamber and sent to the Senate.
In July, the House passed a resolution, through a partisan vote, holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for not providing audio related to Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Similar to the Blinken contempt resolution, it is unlikely to be revisited until after the November elections and may disappear if the GOP loses control of the House to the Democrats.
The Epoch Times contacted the State Department for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
