Staff Reports
The House might soon see Attorney General Merrick Garland finally getting a taste of his own medicine, as Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida aims to hold him in inherent contempt of Congress. It’s about time someone stood up to the Department of Justice’s refusal to hand over the audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Joe Biden. Apparently, executive privilege is the new magic word to cloak the administration’s shenanigans.
Rep. Luna sent a straightforward message to her colleagues: the only way to ensure compliance with their subpoena is to flex their constitutional muscles on inherent contempt. The House sergeant at arms could literally be cuffing Garland if things go as planned. This isn’t a drill; Luna intends to call the resolution vote soon, which according to Fox News insider Chad Pergram, could hit the House floor Wednesday or Thursday.
This isn’t the Attorney General’s first rodeo in dodging accountability. Earlier, Garland was found in criminal contempt, but the Justice Department conveniently ignored it. It’s the classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse. Luna’s letter called this out as the last straw, pointing out how this blatant disregard for congressional authority poses a direct threat to the institution itself. It’s high time Congress needs to use its teeth, not just show them.
1) House sources are expecting Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) to force a vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in “inherent contempt” of Congress sometime in the middle of next week. Fox is told the vote likely comes Wednesday or Thursday.
What is “inherent contempt?”…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 21, 2024
Luna asserts that the executive branch will continue to stonewall unless there are real consequences. That’s why she’s pushing to have Garland hauled in by the Sergeant at Arms, not just to answer questions, but to physically hand over the requested evidence. An Attorney General deciding whether or not a congressional subpoena is worth enforcing is not just ludicrous, it’s a direct attack on the legislative branch’s authority.
Garland isn’t sitting idly by either. He’s been dialing up moderate Republicans, basically trying to lobby his way out of this—yet another sparkling display of corruption. Luna’s message to Garland is crisp: release the tapes or face the consequences. One has to wonder why Garland is pulling out all the stops to keep these tapes hidden. What exactly is on them that’s got him playing the part of a slippery politician desperate to protect Biden?
The American people see through these games, and they deserve integrity from their institutions, not political charades. Garland’s antics are a blatant abuse of power, and Congress needs to step up and remind the Attorney General—and the entire executive branch—who truly holds the authority here.
