House Republicans move to hold Blinken in contempt over Afghanistan testimony

Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are moving to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress after a contentious back-and-forth with the Cabinet secretary about an appearance to testify on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken, in a letter to Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, says that he was “profoundly disappointed” in the chairman’s decision to advance contempt proceedings and urged him to find a resolution in “good faith.” The contempt of Congress charge is the latest in a series of moves by McCaul and other House Republicans over the past 18 months to hold the Biden administration accountable for what they have called a “stunning failure of leadership” in August 2021.