Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said she will push for a vote putting Garland in what is called inherent contempt of Congress over the Department of Justice’s refusal to provide the audio tape of special counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Joe Biden during Hur’s probe of Biden’s possession of classified documents, Fox News reported Monday.
Garland has said he will not make the tapes public because of Biden’s claim of executive privilege.
“The only option to ensure compliance with our subpoena is to use our constitutional authority of inherent contempt,” Luna said in a letter to other members of the House.
“In the next few days, I will call up my resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt of Congress, and I look forward to each of you voting in favor of it,” she wrote.
“The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated. Our ability to legislate effectively and fulfill our constitutional duties is at stake. We must act now to protect the integrity and independence of the legislative branch,” the congresswoman said.
Inherent contempt allows the House sergeant at arms to take an individual into custody for congressional action, according to the Constitution Center.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram said a contempt vote could come Wednesday or Thursday.
On June 12, Garland was found in criminal contempt, which meant a referral for action went to the Justice Department. It declined to act upon the House’s request.
Luna’s letter said that was the last straw, according to Fox News.
“The Department of Justice’s blatant disregard for Congress as an institution, exemplified by its refusal to prosecute Attorney General Merrick Garland, is a direct threat to this legislative body. Attorney General Garland’s defiance of two lawful subpoenas is a clear violation of our authority,” she wrote.
The congresswoman said Congress needs to use its teeth, not just show them.
“The executive branch will continue to withhold information from Congress if there are no consequences for their actions,” Luna said.
“It is imperative that Congress uses its inherent contempt powers and instructs the Sergeant at Arms to bring Attorney General Garland to the House for questioning and compel him to produce the requested evidence,” she wrote.
“The Department of Justice and the attorney general cannot be the ultimate deciders of whether or not a congressional subpoena is enforced. If Congress allows this to happen, we risk being subordinated to the attorney general and being completely neutered in our ability to legislate,” the Republican lawmaker said.
In a news release posted on her website last week, Luna said Garland has been lobbying Republican members of the House.
“Attorney General Garland is now calling moderate Republicans, pushing them to vote against my inherent contempt resolution,” she said. “This is the very definition of corruption. He believes he is above the law and can tell elected members of Congress what to do.
“My message to Garland is straightforward: release the tapes to Congress and let us listen to them.”
“Why is Merrick Garland fighting so hard to keep these tapes hidden?” Luna said. “What is on those tapes that is making him act in a criminal manner to protect Joe Biden?
“Any other American would be in jail for what he is doing. This blatant abuse of power must be stopped. The American people deserve integrity in our institutions, not political corruption.”
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