Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., says a motion to force a vote on having the House sergeant-at-arms forcibly bring Merrick Garland before the chamber will be filed Friday unless the attorney general provides audio of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
During a press conference Wednesday morning, Luna said Garland still had 48 hours to turn over the audio.
"Inherent contempt is clearly within our Article 1 authorities and Congress does have the power to investigate all legislative powers," Luna said, flanked by other GOP lawmakers.
"Investigations are part of our legislative process and people that interfere with these processes should be held accountable."
However, Axios reported that one Republican House member said only a "medium-sized minority" likely would vote for the bill because many members view it as "an extreme tool."
"I don't think that's even practical," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said of inherent contempt, the outlet reported.
Still, Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., Mark Alford, R-Mo., Russell Fry, R-S.C. Max Miller, R-Ohio, Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Richard McCormick, R-Ga., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., were among the lawmakers who joined Luna at the press conference.
Two weeks ago, the House voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of Biden's interview in his classified documents case.
The Justice Department then said it will not prosecute Garland for contempt of Congress because his refusal to turn over audio "did not constitute a crime."
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the House plans to go to court to try to force Garland to comply with their subpoena.
On Monday, Luna sent a "dear colleague" letter to fellow lawmakers that she intended to invoke an inherent contempt resolution.
However, not all House Republicans are on board with Luna's plans.
The topic was discussed at Republicans' weekly leadership meeting and "people in the room don't want it to happen," according to one GOP member, Axios reported.
"I made fun of my Democratic colleagues two years ago when they introduced their [inherent contempt] resolutions," Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., said, the outlet said.
"I don't know how you enforce it, and I don't know how you don't actually weaken our position ... I'm assuming we're going to court very quickly on it, and I think that is the appropriate way to do it."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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