GOP leader seeks to hold Blinken in contempt for ignoring subpoena.

House Republican Moves Closer to Holding Blinken in Contempt

Investigating the Disastrous Withdrawal from Afghanistan

A top House Republican, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), is fed up with Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s repeated refusal to comply with a subpoena demanding the State Department hand over a July 2021 dissent cable from the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has argued since late 2021 that the Biden administration has been stonewalling his investigations into the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The summer 2021 dissent cable, sent to Blinken and the State Department’s director of policy planning, Salman Ahmed, reportedly warned about the collapse of the Afghan military and a near-term Taliban takeover, urging the State Department to speed up its evacuation planning, to do more to deal with the glut of special immigrant visa applications, and to help keep safe those who had assisted the United States in Afghanistan.

To hold Blinken in contempt, McCaul’s committee would first need to vote to do so, followed by the entire House. If passed, Blinken would be the first Biden administration official to be held in contempt since the GOP took control of the House in January. The contempt sanction would then be forwarded to the Justice Department to decide whether to charge him.

Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor with a sentence of up to a year in prison.

McCaul’s Warning to Blinken

McCaul told Blinken in a letter late last week that the subpoena “must be complied with immediately” and warned that “should you fail to comply, the Committee is prepared to take the necessary steps to enforce its subpoena, including holding you in contempt of Congress and/or initiating a civil enforcement proceeding.”

“The committee has been more than reasonable in providing the State Department time to comply with my subpoena, as legally obligated,” McCaul told the Washington Examiner on Thursday. “If the department fails to do so, I am prepared to initiate contempt proceedings. This is not a decision I take lightly, but Congress and the American people, particularly our veterans and Gold Star Families, deserve answers on this catastrophic withdrawal.”

State Department spokesman Vedant Patel lamented earlier this week that “it’s unfortunate that despite having received a classified briefing on the dissent channel cable as well as a written summary, that the House Foreign Affairs Committee continues to pursue this unnecessary and unproductive action.”

What Happens Next?

• McCaul’s committee would need to vote to hold Blinken in contempt
• The entire House would need to pass the vote
• If passed, Blinken would be the first Biden administration official to be held in contempt since the GOP took control of the House in January
• The contempt sanction would then be forwarded to the Justice Department to decide whether to charge him
• Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor with a sentence of up to a year in prison

The American people, particularly our veterans and Gold Star Families, deserve answers on this catastrophic withdrawal. It’s time for the State Department to comply with the subpoena and for Blinken to be held accountable for his actions.