On Thursday, July 11, the US House of Representatives rejected a Republican resolution that sought to impose a daily fine of $10,000 on Attorney General Merrick Garland until he handed over the recording of President Biden’s interview with special prosecutor Robert Hur in the classified document case.
With 204 votes in favor and 210 votes against, the House rejected the resolution proposed by Republicans, with four Republican members defecting and voting against alongside Democratic members.
According to the Associated Press, House Speaker Milk Johnson expressed surprise at the outcome, stating, “We had anticipated passage, but in actively enforcing the subpoena against Merrick Garland and holding him accountable, we are using all means to ensure his compliance with the law and fulfill our constitutional duty.”
Johnson mentioned that alternative methods would be pursued to acquire the recording.
Republican members had hoped to obtain the recording to further investigate and understand Biden’s actions and statements in the classified document case. However, Biden asserts executive privilege to prevent the release of the recording, and the Justice Department has stated that releasing the recording could impact future sensitive investigations.
The primary sponsor of the resolution, Republican House member Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, stated during the debate on Wednesday, July 10, “No one is above the law.”
A spokesperson for Garland was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that the Attorney General is currently leading an international crime forum and cannot comment on the matter.
Earlier this year, the House announced Garland as the third Attorney General in US history to be indicted for contempt of Congress.
Before testifying before Congress in March, Hur submitted a transcript of Biden’s interview from last year to Republican members of the House.
Following the Justice Department’s refusal to hand over the recording by early April, established procedures were advanced, leading to a vote on June 12 declaring Garland in contempt of Congress and requesting the department to prosecute him.
However, on June 14, the Justice Department declared that Garland would not be prosecuted for contempt of Congress, citing a consistent policy of not prosecuting officials who do not comply with subpoenas due to presidential statements claiming executive privilege.
Garland defended himself, stating that officials had diligently provided information to the House Judiciary Committee regarding the investigation into the classified document case, including the text records of Biden’s interview. He also mentioned that releasing the recording could weaken the willingness and ability of some witnesses to cooperate with the Justice Department.
Republicans accused Biden of suppressing the recording out of fear that voters would hear it in an election year. Meanwhile, the White House and Democratic members dismissed the Republican efforts to obtain the recording as politically motivated.
The congressional investigation began in February after Hur released his report on Biden’s handling of classified documents, which found evidence that Biden intentionally retained and shared highly classified information during his time as a private citizen. However, the special prosecutor concluded that these actions did not warrant criminal charges.