Jun 11, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: GOP's Garland contempt vote hanging by a thread

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters as he leaves a weekly news conference on Capitol Hill on June 4, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

A House vote on holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is in severe danger of being pulled by GOP leadership, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Canceling the vote would be a letdown for conservatives who have pounded the table for the vote — and showcases the weakness of Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) thin House majority.

Republicans want to hold Garland in contempt for refusing to give Congress the audiotapes of President Biden's interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur.
But the vote is in danger of being pulled off the schedule because Republican sponsors don't have the votes, two House GOP lawmakers and multiple sources told Axios. A vote was expected this week.

The big picture: Republicans are worried that the contempt vote failing could hurt their legal chances of obtaining the tapes in court, one senior House Republican said.

Moderates Republicans had raised concerns about holding in Garland in contempt, which is a tough vote for many of them in politically divided districts to take ahead of the November elections.
Scrutiny of Garland and the DOJ has been one of House Republicans' top priorities.

The bottom line: Johnson's two-vote majority makes any highly political vote a tough lift for GOP leadership.

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Scoop: GOP's Garland contempt vote hanging by a thread

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