GOP Bill to Fine Merrick Garland $10,000 A Day Fails In The House
An effort led by House Republican lawmakers to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress failed on Thursday.
The issue was a long-running dispute between Garland and House Republicans over the attorney general’s refusal to turn over the audio tapes of President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur from the investigation into the president’s handling of classified material. Hur ultimately decided not to bring charges, angering the president’s critics, but Republicans seized upon critical comments Hur made about Biden’s answers and memory, and they have sought to obtain the audio tapes.
The White House had asserted executive privilege over the recording of the interview, and Garland defended the Department of Justice in a fiery hearing last month. In a mostly party-line vote, the House voted to hold Garland in contempt but the DOJ declined to prosecute.
On Thursday, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) introduced a new resolution attempting to force Garland to release the audio tapes by imposing a $10,000 per day fine on him.By a vote of 204-210, the resolution fell short due to the lack of support among House Republicans. Four GOP lawmakers voted alongside Democrats in opposition.
The Florida lawmaker initially vowed to move forward with a resolution that would have resulted in Garland being placed in custody, but instead decided to go with a daily fine instead after her fellow Republican colleagues pushed back against the idea.
“In order for the House of Representatives to do its job, we must have access to the information that will allow us to make informed decisions on behalf of our constituents,” Luna said on the House floor on Wednesday, according to CBS News.
She added, “We have been left with no choice but to rely on inherent contempt, our constitutional authority to hold an individual accountable for refusing to comply with congressional demands.”
Following the vote’s failure on Thursday, Luna vowed to bring the measure forward again at a different date, claiming some Republicans had to depart before the vote due to family emergencies. She claimed her resolution would pass in the future.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
