Attorney General Garland testifies at House Judiciary Committee

A pair of Republican-led House committees voted to advance contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland. This comes after Garland refused to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. Biden asserted executive privilege over the files, leading to the dispute between House Republicans and the executive branch. The House Judiciary and Oversight panels approved a report recommending a contempt of Congress resolution against Garland. The vote passed along party lines, and it is not clear when the full House will vote on holding the attorney general in contempt. Republicans argue that the tapes could provide valuable information not available in a written transcript, while the Department of Justice questions the motives behind seeking the audio files.