House panel set to hear long-awaited Blinken testimony on Afghanistan withdrawal
CBSN
Washington — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to testify Wednesday before the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee, which has long sought to question him over the deadly evacuation from Afghanistan.
Blinken's testimony comes nearly three months after the committee voted along partly lines to recommend that the nation's top diplomat be held in contempt of Congress amid a standoff over his appearance before the panel to discuss its investigation into the 2021 withdrawal.
The committee and State Department had been at odds for months, leading Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the Republican chairman, to issue multiple subpoenas for Blinken to testify in September. McCaul said Blinken's appearance was important as the committee considers "potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal."
