House Republicans are scheduled to vote Wednesday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated the handling of classified material by Biden and declined to press charges.
The vote marks a major escalation in a months-long dispute over the recordings between House Republicans and the executive branch that came after Biden asserted executive privilege over the files.
Finding the nation's top law enforcement official in contempt would build on Republican accusations that the Justice Department has been used as a weapon against conservatives, accusations that have intensified particularly in the wake of former President Donald Trump's conviction. in New York for falsifying business records.
Throughout 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 prospects for the investigation end in impeachment are increasingly unlikely.
House GOP leaders said Tuesday afternoon they were confident they had the votes in their narrow majority to hold Garland in contempt, but they have been working behind the scenes to lock up their members ahead of Wednesday's vote. .
A handful of House Republicans have privately expressed concerns about supporting the contempt resolution, raising questions about whether the conference, with its narrow majority, will have the votes to pass it, a source familiar told CNN. Still, House Republicans announced Tuesday night that the vote would take place on Wednesday.
“We're going to raise it and pass it (Wednesday),” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told CNN.
By a narrow 208-207 margin, the House took a key procedural step Wednesday morning to approve the rule that will bring the contempt resolution to the floor for debate and a final vote for approval later in the day.
