House Getting Ready to Vote on Using Contempt Power Against Merrick Garland
House Republicans, with support from Donald Trump, are gearing up for a crucial vote to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. This move, if successful, will be the first time Congress has exercised this power since the 1930s.
The primary reason behind this escalating tension between Republicans and Garland is the demand for an audio recording of an interview with President Joe Biden. The interview is related to the investigation of sensitive government documents that Biden retained after his tenure as vice president.
Special counsel Robert Hur’s report, which rejected prosecuting Biden, described the president as “an elderly man with poor memory.” Republicans are keen on obtaining the audio recording to compare it with the provided transcript, which includes Biden seeking confirmation on the year his son, Beau, passed away.
While the demand for the audio was made before the June 27 presidential debate, where Biden faced challenges in articulating his thoughts and responses, its significance has only increased since then.
House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed his belief that the audio recording would reveal Biden’s struggles during the debate, adding, “We’re not trying to embarrass the president. We’re trying to get down to the facts.”
Democrats remain skeptical of this motive and argue that the accuracy of the transcript has already been verified.
When Garland refused to cooperate and hand over the audio recording, House Republicans took legal action by filing a lawsuit. However, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna suggested utilizing the “inherent contempt” authority of Congress to penalize Garland for his non-compliance.
Inherent contempt, a rarely invoked power, allows Congress to punish individuals for failing to cooperate with subpoenas without seeking assistance from the executive branch for enforcement.
Luna’s resolution, which proposes finding Garland in inherent contempt and levying a $10,000 daily fine until the audio recording is released, is scheduled for a vote on Thursday.
The viability of using the long-dormant inherent contempt power seemed uncertain until Donald Trump voiced his support for Luna’s resolution on social media. Trump’s influence prompted Republicans to overcome obstacles and move forward with the vote.
If the contempt vote succeeds, it will signify a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats refrained from resorting to inherent contempt during their tenure when faced with non-compliance from Republican lawmakers or Trump administration officials.
Notably, the decision to utilize Congress’s authority to formally reprimand Garland, the country’s top law enforcement official, comes at the urging of a former president facing numerous legal challenges.
Prior to the vote, Luna expressed gratitude to Trump for his endorsement, emphasizing the need to hold Garland accountable. The upcoming vote promises to deepen the divide between political parties and further intensify the already strained relations in Washington.
