The House GOP’s latest bid to make Merrick Garland a villain

House Republicans, keen to keep up a steady stream of criticism about the Biden administration as the 2024 campaign kicks into high gear, are now going after Attorney General Merrick Garland. 

On Wednesday, the House is expected to vote to hold Garland in contempt of Congress, a move that follows recent attacks the GOP has made against the Justice Department. A contempt vote is intended to help the House enforce subpoenas and requests for testimony: By holding someone in contempt, lawmakers are effectively calling them out for failing to comply with congressional demands. 

Republicans say this is why they’re undertaking this vote, arguing that Garland is blocking oversight by defying subpoenas regarding tapes of President Joe Biden discussing his handling of classified documents. Holding Garland in contempt allows the House to refer their concerns to prosecutors for further penalties, though it doesn’t mean they’ll pursue the case. (In recent citations of contempt of Congress, the DOJ has advanced a handful of cases while dismissing others.)