Blinken set to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal in House amid looming contempt vote

FIRST ON FOX: Facing the menace of a contempt of Congress vote, Secretary of State Antony Blinken yet agreed to attest successful beforehand of the 118th Congress' House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) connected the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal aft being sought to bash truthful for months, according to a spokesperson for the committee's GOP majority. 

President Biden's Secretary of State is acceptable to look for a nationalist proceeding connected Dec. 11, an HFAC bulk spokesperson told Fox News Digital. His grounds volition instrumentality spot implicit 3 years aft the Biden administration's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken did attest straight aft the withdrawal successful beforehand of the Democrat-controlled HFAC successful September 2021. 

Blinken has antecedently refused to comply with the GOP-led committee's subpoena for grounds successful 2024 connected the Afghanistan withdrawal.

His archetypal grounds to the Democrat-controlled committee was not capable for Republican HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

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Antony Blinken agreed to attest successful beforehand of the GOP-controlled House nether menace of contempt vote.  (Reuters/Getty Images)

In the caller Blinken contempt report, McCaul noted the 2021 "appearance was anterior to an probe being launched by the Committee, meaning this Committee had yet to behaviour immoderate transcribed interviews oregon papers discovery. As a result, the Committee did not person the payment of its investigative findings to probe Secretary Blinken’s testimony, which contained misleading accounts of the withdrawal and NEO nether his leadership."

"After months of bully religion efforts that were excessively often met with stonewalling from the State Department, I’m arrogant to person secured Secretary Blinken’s quality earlier my committee. I spot his grounds volition supply immoderate long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families," said McCaul successful a connection to Fox News Digital.

"It’s unfortunate the caput agreed to look lone aft my committee advanced contempt proceedings against him. While I privation helium had not delayed this important quality until the extremity of his tenure arsenic caput of the State Department, I look guardant to proceeding his grounds and asking poignant questions to help House Republicans and the adjacent medication guarantee thing similar this ever happens again."

Blinken's determination to yet attest came arsenic a level ballot to clasp him successful contempt of Congress drew closer, with the House Rules Committee expected to soon statesman mounting presumption for a ballot connected the resolution. 

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Gold Medals beryllium connected show up of a ceremonial honoring the 13 American work members who died successful the termination bombing astatine Hamid Karzai International Airport successful Afghanistan successful U.S. Capitol Rotunda connected September 10, 2024 successful Washington, D.C.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Per the committee spokesperson, McCaul began seeking Blinken's grounds successful May. McCaul's probe into the withdrawal has spanned 3 years, but erstwhile Republicans were successful the number during the 117th Congress, helium had constricted oversight capabilities. 

During a wide proceeding connected American diplomacy with Blinken successful May, McCaul archetypal asked for the caput to attest successful September erstwhile the committee's study connected its probe connected the Afghanistan withdrawal was acceptable to beryllium released. 

Blinken would not perpetrate to bash so, telling the chairman, "Well, we tin person our teams speech astir that Mr. Chairman. Thank you."

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McCaul sent Blinken a subpoena to look to sermon the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Getty Images)

The committee spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, successful the months following, Blinken was afforded repeated accommodations and received assorted warnings, but the Department of State (DOS) refused to sanction a day helium would beryllium consenting to look successful September. He sought alternatively for his 2 deputies to testify, contempt the information that neither of them had been with the section during the withdrawal. 

The committee yet decided to contented a subpoena for Blinken's grounds successful aboriginal September. The president past moved the day that helium was subpoenaed to attest upon learning that Blinken was abroad, successful bid to guarantee his attendance. 

But connected September 24, Blinken did not study to Congress to testify. 

Following his absence, the HFAC voted to urge that Blinken beryllium held successful contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena. The ballot was 26 to 25, on enactment lines. 

The committee spokesperson elaborate the lengths to which the Republican bulk went to enactment with Blinken to debar utilizing its subpoena power. According to them, the committee reminded the DOS of the study conscionable earlier September, erstwhile McCaul sought to person Blinken testify. However, the section and Blinken inactive refused to prime a day during the month. 

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Blinken initially defied the subpoena. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/File Photo)

On Nov. 7, HFAC bulk unit met with enactment from the DOS and informed them astir the study recommending Blinken beryllium held successful contempt advancing retired of the committee. They further relayed that if helium inactive refuses to supply dates to attest successful beforehand of the committee that the contempt solution was prepared to caput to the House level for a vote. 

By Nov. 14, the contempt proceedings were noticed for information successful the rules committee, which is 1 of the past steps earlier a House ballot tin occur. On this aforesaid day, the DOS made its archetypal day offering to the committee. The section offered either Dec. 17 oregon 18, according to the committee spokesperson, but the 2 dates were successful the past week of the league erstwhile galore representatives volition already beryllium gone. 

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On Nov. 15, the committee countered the DOS with an connection of Dec. 10 oregon 11. The section yet chose the 11th and Blinken accepted, per the committee spokesperson. 

The DOS did not instantly supply remark to Fox News Digital.