Blinken held in contempt/ Afghanistan withdrawal testimony/ Republicans hold Blinken accountable/ U.S. Congress and Blinken standoff/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ House Republicans are moving to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress, citing his refusal to testify about the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken expressed disappointment in the decision, emphasizing his willingness to testify at a mutually convenient time. Democrats called the contempt proceedings partisan and unnecessary.
GOP Moves to Hold Blinken in Contempt Quick Look:
- Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are seeking to hold Secretary Antony Blinken in contempt over his failure to testify about the Afghanistan withdrawal.
- Blinken has expressed willingness to testify, but disputes the timing of the committee’s demands.
- Democrats argue the move is politically motivated, accusing Republicans of staging “political theater.”
- Blinken has testified on Afghanistan 14 times, including four appearances before McCaul’s committee.
House GOP Push to Hold Blinken in Contempt Over Afghanistan Testimony
Deep Look:
House Republicans are moving forward with efforts to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress, accusing him of refusing to testify about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The decision, spearheaded by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, marks the latest escalation in the GOP’s ongoing efforts to hold the Biden administration accountable for what they describe as a “stunning failure of leadership.”
In a letter to McCaul, Blinken expressed disappointment over the contempt proceedings, asserting that he was “profoundly disappointed” by the chairman’s actions. Blinken emphasized that he has made several attempts to work with the committee on scheduling a testimony, writing, “I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee.”
Contentious Scheduling and Accusations McCaul initially set the hearing for Blinken to testify last Thursday, a date when the Secretary was on an official trip to Egypt and France. The hearing was then rescheduled for Tuesday, coinciding with Blinken’s attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, where he participated in high-level meetings focused on the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Despite these scheduling conflicts, McCaul accused Blinken of making “false promises” and refusing to cooperate with the committee.
“Let the record reflect that for four months, I patiently asked for and waited on his availability in September,” McCaul said in his opening statement. “But instead of working with me, Secretary Blinken made false promises and accused me of politicizing this important issue.”
Blinken’s refusal to testify on the committee’s preferred dates has led Republicans to push for contempt charges, arguing that his actions demonstrate a lack of accountability. McCaul, in a statement last week, argued that Blinken’s noncompliance leaves Republicans with no choice: “If we are forced to hold Secretary Blinken in contempt of Congress, he has no one to blame but himself.”
Democrats Condemn the Move Democrats on the Foreign Affairs Committee have strongly criticized the contempt efforts, characterizing them as a partisan maneuver. In his opening remarks, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., the ranking Democrat on the committee, accused Republicans of staging “political theater” for the purpose of generating negative headlines about the Biden administration.
“It’s not difficult for the American people to see this for what it is: political theater,” Meeks said. He further suggested that the GOP’s focus on Blinken is intended to distract from other pressing issues and undermine the administration’s foreign policy leadership.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also accused the committee of deliberately scheduling hearings on days when Blinken would be unavailable. Miller emphasized that Blinken remains willing to testify but only when a “mutually convenient” time can be arranged.
Biden Administration’s Afghanistan Exit Under Scrutiny The controversy surrounding Blinken’s testimony is part of a broader Republican effort to scrutinize the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The chaotic exit led to the rapid takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, sparking widespread criticism as American citizens, Afghan allies, and vulnerable groups were left behind in the rush to evacuate.
Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly highlighted the Afghanistan withdrawal in his campaign speeches, attempting to tie it to Vice President Kamala Harris and frame it as an example of the Biden administration’s failure. However, several watchdog reports and an 18-month investigation by House Republicans have not linked Harris to any direct decision-making in the withdrawal process.
Republicans’ Investigation Earlier this month, House Republicans released a report on their investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal, squarely blaming the Biden administration for what they described as a disastrous end to America’s longest war. The report downplayed Trump’s role in signing the February 2020 withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, which many analysts believe set the stage for the eventual collapse of the Afghan government.
The report highlighted numerous military and civilian failures, describing how the Taliban swiftly conquered the country even before the final U.S. evacuation on August 30, 2021. The hasty exit resulted in thousands of Afghan allies, women’s rights activists, and other at-risk groups being left behind to face Taliban persecution.
Blinken’s Testimony History Despite the GOP’s claims of non-cooperation, Blinken has testified on Afghanistan a total of 14 times since the withdrawal, including four times before McCaul’s committee. State Department officials maintain that the Secretary remains committed to providing additional testimony but argue that the scheduling conflicts created by McCaul’s demands are unreasonable.
Blinken’s testimony is unlikely to occur before Congress breaks for recess at the end of this week, further delaying a resolution to the dispute. However, Republicans remain determined to hold him accountable, with McCaul vowing to proceed with contempt charges if necessary.
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