Blinken set to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal in Home amid looming contempt vote

FIRST ON FOX: Going through the specter of a contempt of Congress vote, Secretary of State Antony Blinken lastly agreed to testify in entrance of the 118th Congress’ Home International Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal after being sought to take action for months, based on a spokesperson for the committee’s GOP majority. 

President Biden’s Secretary of State is about to seem for a public listening to on Dec. 11, an HFAC majority spokesperson advised Fox Information Digital. His testimony will happen over three years after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken did testify straight after the withdrawal in entrance of the Democrat-controlled HFAC in September 2021. 

Blinken has beforehand refused to adjust to the GOP-led committee’s subpoena for testimony in 2024 on the Afghanistan withdrawal.

His preliminary testimony to the Democrat-controlled committee was not adequate for Republican HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

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Antony Blinken agreed to testify in entrance of the GOP-controlled Home underneath menace of contempt vote.  (Reuters/Getty Photos)

Within the latest Blinken contempt report, McCaul famous the 2021 “look was previous to an investigation being launched by the Committee, that means this Committee had but to conduct any transcribed interviews or doc discovery. In consequence, the Committee didn’t take pleasure in its investigative findings to probe Secretary Blinken’s testimony, which contained deceptive accounts of the withdrawal and NEO underneath his management.”

“After months of fine religion efforts that have been too usually met with stonewalling from the State Division, I’m proud to have secured Secretary Blinken’s look earlier than my committee. I belief his testimony will present some long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American folks, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star households,” stated McCaul in a press release to Fox Information Digital.

“It’s unlucky the secretary agreed to seem solely after my committee superior contempt proceedings towards him. Whereas I want he had not delayed this important look till the top of his tenure as head of the State Division, I stay up for listening to his testimony and asking poignant questions to assist Home Republicans and the subsequent administration guarantee nothing like this ever occurs once more.”

Blinken’s choice to lastly testify got here as a ground vote to carry him in contempt of Congress drew nearer, with the Home Guidelines Committee anticipated to quickly start setting phrases for a vote on the decision. 

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Gold Medals sit on show forward of a ceremony honoring the 13 American service members who died within the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport in Afghanistan in U.S. Capitol Rotunda on September 10, 2024 in Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)

Per the committee spokesperson, McCaul started looking for Blinken’s testimony in Could. McCaul’s investigation into the withdrawal has spanned three years, however when Republicans have been within the minority in the course of the 117th Congress, he had restricted oversight capabilities. 

Throughout a basic listening to on American diplomacy with Blinken in Could, McCaul first requested for the secretary to testify in September when the committee’s report on its investigation on the Afghanistan withdrawal was set to be launched. 

Blinken wouldn’t commit to take action, telling the chairman, “Effectively, we are able to have our groups discuss that Mr. Chairman. Thanks.”

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McCaul despatched Blinken a subpoena to seem to debate the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Getty Photos)

The committee spokesperson advised Fox Information Digital that, within the months following, Blinken was afforded repeated lodging and obtained varied warnings, however the Division of State (DOS) refused to call a date he could be keen to seem in September. He sought as a substitute for his two deputies to testify, even if neither of them had been with the division in the course of the withdrawal. 

The committee in the end determined to difficulty a subpoena for Blinken’s testimony in early September. The chairman then moved the date that he was subpoenaed to testify upon studying that Blinken was overseas, as a way to guarantee his attendance. 

However on September 24, Blinken didn’t report back to Congress to testify. 

Following his absence, the HFAC voted to suggest that Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena. The vote was 26 to 25, alongside get together strains. 

The committee spokesperson detailed the lengths to which the Republican majority went to work with Blinken to keep away from utilizing its subpoena energy. Based on them, the committee reminded the DOS of the report simply earlier than September, when McCaul sought to have Blinken testify. Nevertheless, the division and Blinken nonetheless refused to select a date in the course of the month. 

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Blinken initially defied the subpoena. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File Picture)

On Nov. 7, HFAC majority workers met with management from the DOS and knowledgeable them in regards to the report recommending Blinken be held in contempt advancing out of the committee. They additional relayed that if he nonetheless refuses to supply dates to testify in entrance of the committee that the contempt decision was ready to go to the Home ground for a vote. 

By Nov. 14, the contempt proceedings have been observed for consideration within the guidelines committee, which is among the final steps earlier than a Home vote can happen. On this identical day, the DOS made its first date providing to the committee. The division provided both Dec. 17 or 18, based on the committee spokesperson, however the two dates have been within the final week of the session when many representatives will already be gone. 

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On Nov. 15, the committee countered the DOS with a proposal of Dec. 10 or 11. The division in the end selected the eleventh and Blinken accepted, per the committee spokesperson. 

The DOS didn’t instantly present remark to Fox Information Digital.