A top House Republican is threatening to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt because he has refused to comply with a subpoena demanding the State Department hand over a July 2021 dissent cable from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Rep. Michael 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, which ended with a chaotic evacuation, a Taliban takeover, hundreds of Americans and thousands of Afghan allies left behind, and 13 U.S. service members killed in an ISIS-K suicide bombing.
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 Biden Justice Department to decide whether to charge him.
“State Department officials at the embassy in Kabul took the extraordinary measure to raise their dissent to the policy, sir, that you and your administration were effectuating. I think the American people need to see this. We need to know what their dissent was — why were they objecting to your policy in the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan?” McCaul told Blinken during a hearing in March shortly before he issued the subpoena.
McCaul’s demands of Blinken come as the secretary of state is also under fire related to the Hunter Biden saga.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blinken threatened with contempt of US Congress over Afghanistan cableThe Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee threatened Secretary of State Antony Blinken with contempt of Congress if he does not comply with a subpoena seeking a classified cable related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Read more »
Top Republican investigating Biden administration withdrawal from Afghanistan threatens to hold Blinken in contempt of Congress | CNN PoliticsHouse Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul is threatening to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress over his panel's investigation into the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a letter the Texas Republican sent him Friday, a copy of which was obtained by CNN.
Read more »
Opinion: Three bank failures since March show Congress must reverse a poorly thought-out 2018 lawAllowing smaller regional banks to operate with fewer requirements led directly to the current crisis. Inept federal regulators didn't help.
Read more »
In new letter, top Republicans in Congress close ranks on spending reforms in debt ceiling dealPresident Biden may have been hoping veteran Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would help pressure the House GOP to back away from demands for spending cuts in exchange for lifting the nation’s borrowing limit. But Mr. McConnell has signaled his alliance with the House Republicans on spending reductions in a new letter ahead of Monday’s White House debt ceiling talks.
Read more »
Here’s how much money Utah’s members of Congress have raised this yearFirst District incumbent Rep. Blake Moore raised the most money among Utah’s congressional delegation in the first quarter. Moore reported pulling in $331,913 in contributions.
Read more »
Yellen warns of 'economic chaos' unless Congress raises the debt ceilingJanet Yellen on Sunday said that failure to raise the debt ceiling will cause a 'steep economic downturn' in the U.S.
Read more »