House Republicans are scheduled Wednesday to vote on holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified material and declined to bring charges.
The vote marks a major escalation in a monthslong dispute over the recordings between House Republicans and the executive branch that came after Biden asserted executive privilege over the files.
Holding the nation’s top law enforcement officer in contempt would build on Republican allegations that the Justice Department has been weaponized against conservatives, claims that have been particularly ratcheted up in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s conviction in New York for falsifying business records.
Through their subpoena fight with the Justice Department, House Republicans have argued that the audio recordings are crucial to their impeachment inquiry into Biden, which remains stalled as the prospects of the investigation ending in impeachment are increasingly unlikely.
House GOP leadership said Tuesday evening that they were confident they have the votes in their narrow majority to hold Garland in contempt, but they have been working behind the scenes to lock down their members ahead of Wednesday’s floor vote.
A handful of House Republicans have privately voiced concerns about supporting the contempt resolution, raising questions whether the conference with its narrow majority will have the votes to pass it, a source familiar told CNN. Still, House Republicans announced Tuesday evening that the vote would go forward Wednesday.
“We’re going to bring it up and pass it (on Wednesday),” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told CNN.
By a slim 208 to 207 margin, the House took a key procedural step Wednesday morning to pass the rule that will bring the contempt resolution to the floor for debate and a final passage vote later in the day.
