Blinken to Testify on Afghanistan Withdrawal in House Amid Contempt Vote Possibility

The 118th Congress' House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) has secured testimony from Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, after months of requests, according to a spokesperson for the committee's GOP majority.

The Secretary of State of President Biden is scheduled to appear for a public hearing on December 11th, according to a spokesperson for the HFAC majority. His testimony will take place three years after the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Blinken previously testified before the Democrat-controlled HFAC in September 2021, following the withdrawal.

In 2024, the GOP-led committee subpoenaed Blinken for testimony on the Afghanistan withdrawal, but he refused to comply.

Republican HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, found his initial testimony to the Democrat-controlled committee inadequate.

The Blinken contempt report, released in 2021, revealed that McCaul had not yet launched an investigation when he made his contempt accusations against Secretary Blinken. As a result, the Committee did not have access to any transcribed interviews or document discovery, which limited their ability to verify Blinken's testimony, which contained misleading accounts of the withdrawal and NEO under his leadership.

"Months of attempts to engage with the State Department were met with resistance, but I am pleased to have secured Secretary Blinken's testimony before my committee. I believe his testimony will bring accountability and transparency to the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families," said McCaul in a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"Unfortunately, the secretary agreed to appear only after my committee advanced contempt proceedings against him. While I wish he had not delayed this crucial appearance until the end of his tenure as head of the State Department, I look forward to hearing his testimony and asking poignant questions to help House Republicans and the next administration ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

The House Rules Committee is preparing to vote on a resolution to hold Blinken in contempt of Congress, which prompted him to finally agree to testify.

The committee spokesperson stated that McCaul started seeking Blinken's testimony in May. Despite his investigation into the withdrawal spanning three years, McCaul faced limitations in his oversight capabilities during the 117th Congress when Republicans were in the minority.

In May, during a general hearing on American diplomacy with Blinken, McCaul requested that the secretary appear before the committee in September to testify when the report on the Afghanistan withdrawal investigation was set to be released.

Blinken declined to make a commitment, stating, "Our teams can discuss that, Chairman. Thank you."

The committee spokesperson informed Planet Chronicle Digital that Blinken was granted multiple accommodations and received several warnings in the months following, but the Department of State (DOS) declined to specify a date for him to appear in September. Instead, Blinken requested that his two deputies testify, even though neither of them had been with the department during the withdrawal.

In order to ensure Blinken's attendance, the chairman moved the date of his subpoenaed testimony to early September after learning that Blinken was abroad.

But on September 24, Blinken did not report to Congress to testify.

After his absence, the HFAC voted 26 to 25, along party lines, to recommend that Blinken be held in contempt of Congress for disregarding the subpoena.

The committee spokesperson revealed that the Republican majority went to great lengths to collaborate with Blinken to avoid using its subpoena power. According to them, the committee contacted the DOS about the report in September, but Blinken and the department still refused to set a date for testimony.

On November 7th, the majority staff of the HFAC met with DOS leadership to discuss the report recommending Blinken be held in contempt. They also informed them that if Blinken still refused to provide dates to testify before the committee, the contempt resolution would be brought to the House floor for a vote.

The rules committee considered the contempt proceedings by Nov. 14, and the DOS made its first date offer on the same day. The department offered either Dec. 17 or 18, but these dates were in the last week of the session when many representatives would already be gone.

The committee countered the DOS's proposal with an offer of Dec. 10 or 11 on Nov. 15. Ultimately, the department opted for the 11th, and Blinken accepted, as stated by the committee spokesperson.

The DOS did not immediately provide comment to Planet Chronicle Digital.