The US Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee have moved forward with contempt of Congress charges against Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a tense exchange regarding his testimony on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The committee's vote, which was split 26-25 along party lines, marks another point of contention between the GOP and the State Department this congressional session. For the past 18 months, Republicans have aimed to hold the Biden administration accountable for what they describe as a “stunning failure of leadership” following the Taliban's takeover of the Afghan capital in August 2021.

Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the committee chair, criticized Blinken for not taking responsibility, stating, “Rather than take accountability for this, the secretary hides from the American people. He would prefer to hide rather than be before this committee today. The Secretary’s willful indifference has brought us to this moment.”

The resolution will now be presented to the full House, which could potentially vote to hold Blinken in contempt and refer the issue to the Justice Department. However, Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned that this measure may not be addressed until after the presidential election.

In a letter to McCaul, Blinken expressed his “profound disappointment” with the decision to advance contempt proceedings, urging the chairman to seek a resolution in “good faith.” He stated, “As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee while I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives.”

McCaul defended his decision, asserting that he had “patiently asked for and waited” for Blinken's availability, claiming that the State Department had been “disingenuous” in not agreeing to set a date in September for his testimony.

Initially, McCaul scheduled a hearing for Blinken last Thursday while the secretary was attending meetings in Egypt and France. He later changed the date to Tuesday, coinciding with Blinken’s presence at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

As is customary for secretaries of state, Blinken will spend the week in New York attending numerous meetings focused on various issues, particularly the situation in the Middle East and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Following the committee vote, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller criticized the action as “a naked political exercise masquerading as oversight,” claiming Republicans had called for hearings on days when Blinken could not be present. He stated, “Chairman McCaul apparently believes it is in the nation’s interest to cede the diplomatic field to America’s adversaries, but we strongly disagree.”

Democrats on the committee denounced the contempt efforts as purely partisan, especially given the timing just weeks before the presidential election. Rep. Gregory Meeks from New York, the top Democrat on the committee, remarked, “It’s not difficult for the American people to see this for what it is: political theater. Another attempt to put another senior Biden administration official's name into negative headlines.”

Former President Donald Trump has frequently highlighted the U.S. exit from Afghanistan during his campaign, attempting to associate it with his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite multiple investigations, no evidence has been found linking Harris directly to decisions regarding the withdrawal.

According to the State Department, Blinken has testified about Afghanistan 14 times, including four times before McCaul’s committee. However, McCaul noted that Blinken has only participated in the annual budget hearings since taking over as chair and has not appeared to discuss the committee’s investigation into the withdrawal.

Miller mentioned that Blinken is willing to testify again if a suitable time can be arranged, though he pointed out that Congress will be in recess from the end of this week until after the November election.

Earlier this month, House Republicans released a critical report blaming the Biden administration for the chaotic end to America’s longest war while downplaying Trump’s involvement. The report detailed the military and civilian failures in the final months leading up to the withdrawal, following Trump’s February 2020 deal that allowed the Taliban to seize control before the last U.S. personnel left on August 30, 2021. This turbulent exit left many American citizens, Afghan allies, female activists, and others in danger under Taliban rule.

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