House prepares to vote on holding Merrick Garland in contempt, decision pending.
The House of Representatives is set to vote on whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress on Wednesday due to his failure to produce audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden.
Hur’s investigation cleared Biden of any wrongdoing in his handling of classified documents but did highlight that the 81-year-old president portrayed himself as a sympathetic elderly man with memory issues. This raised doubts about whether a jury would convict him of a serious felony that necessitates a mental state of willfulness, especially given his age.
Following the release of Hur’s findings, Biden and his supporters vehemently rejected concerns regarding his mental acuity.
Republicans demanding the audio recordings argue that they would offer crucial insight into Biden’s mental state during the interview. On the other hand, Democrats have dismissed this request as a partisan ploy to politicize the Department of Justice (DOJ).
House Speaker Mike Johnson is leading efforts to initiate a contempt of Congress resolution against Attorney General Merrick Garland. This move is part of the House GOP’s broader impeachment inquiry into Biden, investigating claims that he abused his political power to benefit himself and his family. Biden has consistently denied any allegations of misconduct.
Although most Republicans have shown support for the measure, Speaker Johnson is under pressure as he can only afford to lose two votes on any party-line initiatives.
House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman criticized moderate Republicans for their indecisiveness, stating that failing to censure Garland for withholding crucial audio recordings would be surprising.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna pledged to push for her own inherent contempt resolution against Garland if the DOJ does not hold him accountable post the Wednesday resolution passing. An inherent contempt resolution would authorize the House’s sergeant-at-arms to arrest the target directly, bypassing the DOJ.
Democrats have strongly condemned the GOP’s actions, with Rep. Jared Moskowitz asserting that Republicans are targeting Garland as they lack the votes to impeach Biden. Moskowitz views the GOP’s efforts as attempts to appease their base rather than pursue valid legislative goals.
The move to hold Garland in contempt is just one aspect of the broader GOP campaign against what they perceive as the Biden administration’s misuse of the DOJ. Republicans have also threatened to defund various DOJ operations, including the special counsel tasked with investigating former President Trump.
In response to GOP criticisms, Garland penned an op-ed in The Washington Post, condemning the attacks on the DOJ as baseless, personal, and perilous. He highlighted the recent threats to defund specific DOJ investigations, particularly the special counsel’s inquiry into the former president.
Overall, the showdown between the House of Representatives and Attorney General Merrick Garland underscores the deep political divisions in Washington and the ongoing scrutiny of the Biden administration’s conduct. The vote on Wednesday will undoubtedly be a critical moment in this unfolding saga.
