In a narrow party-line vote, the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday voted to recommend the House hold Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in contempt for failing to respond to a subpoena to testify about the Biden administration’s 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The vote, 26-25, followed hours of acrimonious debate, with Republicans saying they were upholding the credibility of the committee’s subpoena power and pushing for accountability for the U.S. troops who died in a terrorist attack at the Kabul airport during the last days of the chaotic withdrawal. Democrats said Republicans were acting in bad faith and misusing the subpoena power for political theater.
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken brought this upon himself. I take no joy in this procedure after months of the secretary ignoring countless requests for his testimony,” said Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, adding he had unsuccessfully sought a personal appearance from Blinken before the committee for four months and had offered him any date in September to testify. “But instead of working with me, Secretary Blinken made false promises and accused me of politicizing this important issue.”
