On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers pushed forward with their attempt to hold U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for failing to testify about his involvement in the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
During a tense and highly partisan meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Republican chairman Mike McCaul, who is spearheading the investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal, expressed regret over the need for such action, calling it a “sad day” as his party introduced the contempt resolution.
Mr. McCaul emphasized that he had subpoenaed Secretary Blinken to testify “any day in September.” However, a chair marked for Mr. Blinken remained empty during the hearing, as the Secretary and other senior officials were attending the UN General Assembly in New York.
The effort to hold Blinken in contempt is the latest move in the Republican Party’s push to hold the Biden administration accountable for the Afghanistan withdrawal. The exit saw the Taliban rapidly seize control of Kabul and the rest of the country, and a deadly attack at Kabul airport killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.
If the contempt measure passes Congress, Blinken would become the first U.S. Secretary of State in history to face such a charge. While a finding of contempt carries no immediate legal consequences, it could theoretically result in a fine or even imprisonment if it’s determined that the witness “willfully” defied a congressional subpoena—a misdemeanor offense.
Democrats Condemn ‘Political Theatre’
Democrats sharply criticized the move, accusing Republicans of staging a political spectacle. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the committee, argued that the September subpoena was politically motivated. “It’s the political season, with elections coming up on November 5,” he said.
Democrat Gerry Connolly described the hearing as “a shameful moment for this committee,” pointing out that Blinken and President Biden were actively engaged in efforts to manage ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. “War rages in Gaza and Lebanon, where the President and the Secretary of State are working to contain the conflict … These are noble efforts that this committee, in normal times, would respect.”
Republicans had originally scheduled the hearing for Blinken to testify last week while the Secretary was on official visits to Egypt and France. It was rescheduled for Tuesday, but Blinken was again unavailable due to his participation in the UN General Assembly.
Democrat Susan Wild accused the committee of convening the hearing to put Blinken in an impossible position. “This meeting was held to force Secretary Blinken into an untenable situation,” she said.
In a letter to Chairman McCaul over the weekend, Blinken expressed his “profound disappointment” at the decision to proceed with contempt measures. “I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the committee, during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” he wrote.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is advancing its efforts to hold U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress over the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021. This move is part of a broader effort by GOP members to address what they view as a lack of accountability from the Biden administration regarding the tumultuous end to America’s longest war.
The Context: A Chaotic Withdrawal
The pull-out from Afghanistan in August 2021, which marked the end of the 20-year U.S. military presence in the country, was marked by chaos and confusion. Thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals were left scrambling to leave the country as the Taliban swiftly took control of Kabul. The U.S.-led evacuation, while ultimately responsible for rescuing tens of thousands of people, was marred by the tragic death of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport and left many Afghans who had assisted the U.S. stranded.
Critics, particularly Republicans, have charged the Biden administration with poor planning and execution of the withdrawal. The administration’s handling of the exit, they argue, undermined U.S. credibility on the global stage and contributed to the humanitarian and political crisis that has since gripped Afghanistan.
GOP’s Contempt Bid Against Blinken
House Republicans have been scrutinizing the administration’s Afghanistan strategy through hearings and investigations. Secretary Blinken has become a key figure in these efforts, with lawmakers accusing him of refusing to comply with subpoenas requesting internal documents and communications related to the withdrawal. His perceived lack of transparency has led Republicans to initiate contempt proceedings against him.
A contempt of Congress citation is a serious charge that could lead to legal consequences for the individual involved. If found in contempt, Blinken could face fines or even jail time, though such outcomes are rare. The Republicans claim that they are pursuing this course of action to ensure accountability for what they describe as a “disastrous” end to the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.
Blinken’s Response and the Democratic Defense
Secretary Blinken and the State Department have maintained that they have complied with Congressional requests for information, providing thousands of pages of documents and offering testimony in multiple hearings. Democrats, meanwhile, have dismissed the contempt charges as political theater, accusing Republicans of exploiting the Afghanistan pull-out for partisan gain rather than engaging in a constructive oversight process.
Blinken, in defending the administration’s actions, has pointed out that the chaotic nature of the withdrawal was largely due to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and military, a development that took many intelligence agencies and officials by surprise. He has also underscored the efforts to evacuate more than 120,000 individuals from Kabul, describing it as one of the most complex airlifts in history.
The Broader Political Ramifications
The Republican push to hold Blinken in contempt is just one element of the wider political battle over the Biden administration’s foreign policy, particularly in Afghanistan. Many GOP lawmakers view the chaotic withdrawal as emblematic of broader issues with the administration’s handling of international affairs, including relations with China and Russia, and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
For the Democrats, the contempt proceedings are viewed as part of a calculated political strategy by the GOP to undermine the administration heading into the 2024 presidential election cycle. They argue that the focus should be on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan rather than pursuing punitive measures against members of the administration.
GOP Pushback
Republican Congressman Brian Mast, a veteran who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan, rejected Democratic claims that the oversight should focus on the entire duration of the war, not just the withdrawal under the Biden administration. “Someone would have to be a willful idiot to think that my operations in 2010 in Afghanistan somehow directly correlate to all the failures that took place in August during the withdrawal,” Mr. Mast said.
Despite the fiery exchanges, it remains unclear when the contempt motion will move to an official vote in the House of Representatives. Republican leadership determines the scheduling of votes, and Congress is currently focused on passing a budget and preventing a government shutdown before the upcoming recess.
The ongoing political struggle underscores the deep divisions in Washington over how to hold the Biden administration accountable for the Afghanistan withdrawal, a subject that remains a flashpoint in the broader debate over U.S. foreign policy.
Conclusion: A Partisan Battle or True Accountability?
As the contempt proceedings move forward, the outcome remains uncertain. The Republican-led House has the votes to hold Blinken in contempt, but the legal and political ramifications of such a move are yet to be fully understood. Whether this effort represents a legitimate attempt to hold the administration accountable or is simply part of the broader political battles in Washington will likely depend on which side of the aisle you stand.
In the end, the debate over Afghanistan will continue to be a point of contention, both for the Biden administration and the country at large. For the families of those left behind or those who sacrificed in the war, the political maneuvering in Washington may feel far removed from the real-world consequences of the withdrawal. But for now, the GOP remains committed to pressing for answers and accountability, with Blinken in their crosshairs.