Johnson predicts House will hold Garland in contempt of Congress
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said he believes Republicans have the votes to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, even as some GOP lawmakers refuse to disclose… Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) has predicted that the House of Representatives will pass a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, despite some GOP lawmakers refusing to confirm their positions. The confidence comes amid concerns over whether the majority of Republicans have enough support to pass the resolution. At least five Republicans have expressed opposition to voting for the contempt resolution. The vote is set to take place at around 3:30 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday. The move comes after Garland refused to hand over the audio recording of President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which the Justice Department argues could decrease cooperation in future investigations if individuals do not want their conversations given to Congress.
发表 : 2个星期前 经过 Mychael Schnell and The Hill 在 Politics
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday said he believes Republicans have the votes to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, even as some GOP lawmakers refuse to disclose where they stand on the contentious matter.
“I do think the contempt of Merrick Garland will pass on the floor, and we’re anxious to have that vote,” Johnson said at a press conference.
The Speaker’s confidence comes amid questions over whether Republicans have enough support to pass the resolution.
Two sources familiar with the internal conversations previously told The Hill that at least five Republicans have expressed opposition to voting to hold Garland in contempt of Congress.
Reps. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Garret Graves (R-La.) would not say how they plan to vote on the contempt resolution Wednesday morning.
Republicans can only afford to lose two of their members on any party-line measures if all lawmakers are in attendance.
House GOP leaders are, nonetheless, plowing ahead with the vote, which is scheduled for around 3:30 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday.
House Republicans moved to hold Garland in contempt of Congress nearly a month ago, after the attorney general refused to hand over the audio recording of President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees — which advanced Garland contempt resolutions last month — have a transcript of Biden’s conversations with Hur. Additionally, the president claimed executive privilege over the audio, which largely provides legal cover to Garland as the assertion is generally considered to foreclose any prosecution over the covered materials.
The Justice Department has argued that releasing the audio to the committee could decrease cooperation in future investigations if individuals do not want their conversations given to Congress.
话题: Congress