Foreign Affairs Committee votes to report contempt finding against Secretary Antony Blinken after heated debate

The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to report a resolution to the full House recommending that Secretary of State Antony Blinken be held in contempt for failing to comply with a subpoena issued in the committee's investigation of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. The committee approved the motion to report the contempt resolution by a recorded vote of 26–25.

The measure, moved at markup by the Chair, grew out of a months-long inquiry into the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Chair said the committee had repeatedly sought Blinken’s testimony, cited a May 22 public request and an Aug. 19 phone call, and argued that State Department delays and the refusal to produce particular documents and witnesses left the committee no choice. “After months of the secretary ignoring countless requests for his testimony… I was forced to subpoena him,” the Chair said during opening remarks, adding that Blinken’s failure to appear and to produce documents was “a lack of respect” to the committee and the families affected by the withdrawal.

Ranking Member Greg Meeks opposed the contempt referral, calling it a politically timed maneuver. “This is a political stunt made for Fox News,” Meeks said, arguing the State Department had produced more than 20,000 pages of documents, made numerous witnesses available and that the Secretary had repeatedly engaged with Congress. Meeks and other Democrats said Blinken was in New York for United Nations General Assembly duties and that the timing—about 40 days before a national election—created the appearance of partisan objectives.

Republican members pressing for the contempt finding invoked military service and gold star families, and frequently cited the Aug. 26 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members as a reason to demand top-level accountability. Representative Brian Mast said the committee owed an explanation to families and veterans and argued the Secretary had not made himself available during September as requested.

Members also debated legal advice from the Department of Justice that was referenced in written correspondence; some members cited a DOJ opinion suggesting constitutional limits on compelling the Secretary to appear when required to fulfill presidential responsibilities, while proponents said the judicial branch—not DOJ—should determine constitutionality.

Several Democratic amendments to incorporate the Secretary’s letters and the minority staff memorandum into the record were rejected in recorded votes (both failed 25–26). After the amendments failed and votes were closed out, the committee agreed to report the contempt recommendation to the House by a recorded vote of 26–25.

The committee also advanced a package of other foreign policy measures during the same session. The contempt report will now go to the House floor for further action. The committee adjourned after favorably reporting the measures on its agenda.