Secretary of State Antony Blinken has agreed to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on December 11 regarding the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. His decision comes after months of resistance to requests and subpoenas from the GOP-led committee. The testimony follows HFAC Chairman Michael McCaul’s (R-TX) push for greater transparency and accountability on the chaotic withdrawal, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and left thousands of Afghan allies vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.
McCaul’s efforts to secure Blinken’s testimony have been ongoing since May, when the chairman formally requested his appearance. Initially, Blinken declined to commit, suggesting his deputies testify instead. However, McCaul rejected this, emphasizing that neither of the deputies had been with the Department of State during the Afghanistan withdrawal. After repeated delays and refusals to set a date, HFAC issued a subpoena in September to compel Blinken’s testimony. Despite rescheduling the subpoena date to accommodate Blinken’s travel, the secretary failed to appear before Congress, leading HFAC to advance a contempt of Congress resolution against him.
The HFAC voted 26-25 along party lines to recommend holding Blinken in contempt of Congress. The threat of a full House vote to enforce the resolution loomed, with the House Rules Committee set to establish terms for the vote. It was only after this that Blinken agreed to testify, according to an HFAC spokesperson.
Blinken previously testified before a Democrat-controlled HFAC in September 2021, shortly after the withdrawal. McCaul argued that testimony was insufficient, as the committee had not yet launched its formal investigation or gathered critical evidence. McCaul accused Blinken of providing misleading accounts of the withdrawal and the non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO), stating, “His testimony contained misleading accounts…under his leadership.”
In response to securing the December 11 hearing, McCaul expressed frustration with the delays. “It’s unfortunate the secretary agreed to appear only after my committee advanced contempt proceedings against him,” McCaul said in a statement to Fox News Digital. He added, “I trust his testimony will provide some long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families.”
McCaul has spent three years investigating the withdrawal. However, his ability to scrutinize the administration’s actions was limited while Republicans were in the minority during the 117th Congress. The committee’s comprehensive report, released earlier this year, details failures in planning and execution that left Americans and Afghan allies stranded.
The State Department’s resistance to the GOP-led HFAC’s requests for Blinken’s testimony included a November offer of dates for December 17 or 18. These dates fell in the final week of the session, when many lawmakers would be unavailable. HFAC countered with December 10 or 11, ultimately securing Blinken’s agreement to testify on the earlier date.
This testimony will mark the first time Blinken appears before Congress on the Afghanistan withdrawal since the GOP took control of the House. Republicans hope his testimony will shed light on the administration’s decision-making during the withdrawal and guide future policies to avoid similar disasters.
