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 Overseas Affairs Committee (HFAC) on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal after being sought to take action for months, in accordance with a spokesperson for the committee’s GOP majority.
President Biden’s Secretary of State is about to look 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 below menace of contempt vote. (Reuters/Getty Photographs)
Within the current 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 benefit from its investigative findings to probe Secretary Blinken’s testimony, which contained deceptive accounts of the withdrawal and NEO below his management.”
“After months of fine religion efforts that had 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,” mentioned McCaul in a press release to Fox Information Digital.
“It’s unlucky the secretary agreed to look solely after my committee superior contempt proceedings towards him. Whereas I want he had not delayed this significant 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 following administration guarantee nothing like this ever occurs once more.”
Blinken’s choice to lastly testify got here as a flooring 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 Photographs)
Per the committee spokesperson, McCaul started looking for Blinken’s testimony in Might. McCaul’s investigation into the withdrawal has spanned three years, however when Republicans had been within the minority through the 117th Congress, he had restricted oversight capabilities.
Throughout a normal listening to on American diplomacy with Blinken in Might, 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, “Nicely, we will have our groups speak about that Mr. Chairman. Thanks.”
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McCaul despatched Blinken a subpoena to look to debate the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Getty Photographs)
The committee spokesperson advised Fox Information Digital that, within the months following, Blinken was afforded repeated lodging and obtained numerous warnings, however the Division of State (DOS) refused to call a date he can be prepared to look in September. He sought as a substitute for his two deputies to testify, even though neither of them had been with the division through the withdrawal.
The committee finally determined to challenge 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, in an effort 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 social gathering traces.
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. Nonetheless, the division and Blinken nonetheless refused to choose a date through the month.
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Blinken initially defied the subpoena. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File Photograph)
On Nov. 7, HFAC majority employees 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 offer dates to testify in entrance of the committee that the contempt decision was ready to move to the Home flooring for a vote.
By Nov. 14, the contempt proceedings had been seen for consideration within the guidelines committee, which is likely one of 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 supplied both Dec. 17 or 18, in accordance with the committee spokesperson, however the two dates had 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 finally selected the eleventh and Blinken accepted, per the committee spokesperson.
The DOS didn’t instantly present remark to Fox Information Digital.