State Department criticizes House GOP for Blinken testimony request

The State Department criticized House Republicans for scheduling a hearing regarding Secretary of State Antony Blinken's testimony on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The hearing was set for a time when Blinken was unavailable due to prior commitments in Egypt and France, as well as attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that the committee was informed of Blinken's schedule weeks in advance, suggesting a lack of good faith in the scheduling process. Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the State Department of being disingenuous for not agreeing to a date in September for Blinken to testify. He warned that if Blinken were held in contempt of Congress, it would be due to his own failure to appear. This situation arises amid ongoing Republican efforts to hold the Biden administration accountable for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has been a point of contention since the Taliban's rapid takeover in August 2021. House Republicans have conducted extensive investigations into the withdrawal, blaming the Biden administration for failing to adequately prepare for the Taliban's advance. Their findings have been part of a broader narrative that seeks to link the withdrawal to failures in leadership, while also attempting to minimize the role of former President Trump in the events leading up to the withdrawal. Despite having testified about Afghanistan multiple times, Blinken remains open to appearing before Congress if a suitable date can be arranged. However, with Congress set to recess soon, the timeline for further testimony remains uncertain, complicating the ongoing political discourse surrounding the withdrawal and its implications for U.S. foreign policy.