Title: Impeaching Antony John Blinken, Secretary of State, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution impeaches Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his role in the withdrawal of U.S. forces and diplomatic assets from Afghanistan.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 608 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 608

Impeaching Antony John Blinken, Secretary of State, for high crimes and 
                             misdemeanors.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 27, 2021

    Mr. Norman (for himself and Mr. Harris) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Impeaching Antony John Blinken, Secretary of State, for high crimes and 
                             misdemeanors.

    Resolved, That Antony John Blinken, Secretary of State, is 
impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following 
articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
     Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives 
of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people 
of the United States of America, against Antony John Blinken, Secretary 
of State, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for 
high crimes and misdemeanors.

                               article i 

    Antony John Blinken, in his conduct while Secretary of State, 
engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his duties as 
an Officer of the United States, as follows:
    Secretary Blinken took an oath to defend and secure our country and 
uphold the Constitution when he was sworn in as Secretary of State on 
January 26, 2021. Article II of the United States Constitution tasks 
the executive branch with ensuring the laws passed by Congress and 
signed into law by the President are faithfully executed.
    Secretary Blinken has failed to faithfully uphold his oath and has 
instead presided over a reckless abandonment of our Nation's interests, 
security, and values in his role in the withdrawal of American forces 
and diplomatic assets from Afghanistan.
    On April 14, 2021, President Biden announced that all United States 
troops will begin withdrawing from Afghanistan starting May 1, 2021, 
and that the removal of troops would be completed by September 11, 
2021.
    On April 24, 2021, Pentagon officials, national security advisers, 
and Secretary Blinken, in a meeting with President Biden at the White 
House, indicated their belief that they could withdraw the remaining 
3,500 American troops from Afghanistan by July 4, 2021.
    During this same meeting, it was reported that the State Department 
articulated its ability and intention to keep the American Embassy in 
Kabul open and operational with more than 1,400 Americans remaining in 
country.
    On April 27, 2021, in apparent acknowledgment of the dangers posed 
by a resurgent Taliban, the American Embassy in Kabul ordered nearly 
3,000 members of its staff to depart.
    On May 11, 2021, the Taliban--in furtherance of its speedy and 
sweeping campaign to recapture control of much of Afghanistan--captured 
the Nerkh district immediately adjacent to Kabul.
    On May 15, 2021, Embassy officials sent an urgent warning to 
remaining Americans in the country that the ``U.S. Embassy strongly 
suggests that U.S. citizens make plans to leave Afghanistan as soon as 
possible.''.
    On July 2, 2021, the American military vacated Bagram Air Base--the 
central United States military post in the country, including the 
prison on site housing over 5,000 Taliban and suspected terrorist 
prisoners. The hasty evacuation left these prisoners as well as 
significant stockpiles of American weapons and equipment unguarded 
resulting in the eventual liberation of prisoners and seizure of 
weapons and equipment by Taliban forces. On July 8, 2021, President 
Biden stated ``there's going to be no circumstance where you see people 
being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from 
Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable.''.
    On August 12, 2021, State Department spokesman, Ned Price, serving 
under the authority of Secretary Blinken stated ``The embassy remains 
open, and we plan to continue our diplomatic work in Afghanistan.''. 
Ross Wilson, the acting United States ambassador to Afghanistan who was 
on the call, said the staff still needed 72 hours to leave.
    On August 15, 2021, the American Flag at the United States Embassy 
in Kabul was taken down.
    On August 15, 2021, Kabul and the Green Zone--the heart of the 
American diplomatic presence in Afghanistan--was recaptured by the 
Taliban and remains under its control.
    On August 25, 2021, American citizens were still attempting to 
navigate through Taliban blockades, and widespread chaos on the streets 
of Kabul to Hamid Karzai International Airport in order to leave 
Afghanistan.
    On August 26, 2021, Secretary Blinken's failure to execute his 
duties to safely and efficiently evacuate of all United States 
government personnel, dependents, and private United States citizens 
when their lives are in danger directly gave rise to a dangerous 
scenario at the Kabul airport enabling terrorists to execute a deadly 
attack that killed eleven marines and a Navy medic and further 
undermined his abilities to execute his duties under 22 U.S.C. 4802(b).
    Secretary Blinken's actions, including ignoring critical 
intelligence received from the embassy in Kabul and United States 
intelligence agencies, have left American property, military equipment 
and weapons in the hands of enemies of the United States, left American 
citizens stranded in life threatening situations in dereliction of his 
duties as Secretary of State (22 U.S.C. 2715; 22 U.S.C. 4802). These 
actions have eroded American interests and security as well as our 
credibility and relationships amongst our closest allies. In failing to 
uphold his responsibilities of his office, Secretary Blinken has failed 
to ensure the protection of the United States Government to American 
citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries.
    Wherefore, Antony John Blinken, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

                              article ii 

    Antony John Blinken, in his conduct while Secretary of State, 
engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with his duties as 
an Officer of the United States, as follows:
    On August 10, 2021, as the crisis in Afghanistan was evident and 
worsening, Secretary Blinken's spokesman, Ned Price, stated that ``the 
United States continues to have leverage . . . and the Afghan 
Government has tremendous leverage.''. An assertion now proven 
obviously erroneous constituting the provision of false information to 
the Congress and American citizens.
    On August 15, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul, the capital of 
Afghanistan. Over one week later, on August 25, 2021, Secretary Blinken 
gave his first public briefing or interview since the collapse of 
Afghanistan. This is in direct violation of his statutory duty to keep 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives fully and currently 
informed with respect to all activities and responsibilities within the 
jurisdiction of these committees (22 U.S.C. 2680(b)).
    On July 13, 2021, nearly two dozen American diplomats, still 
remaining in the Kabul embassy, sent a memo directly to Secretary 
Blinken through the State Department's ``dissent'' channel. The cable, 
first reported by the Wall Street Journal on August 19, 2021, urged 
that evacuation flights for Afghans begin in two weeks and that the 
administration move faster to register them for visas.
    Five days prior to Secretary Blinken receiving the cable through 
the dissent channel from Kabul, President Biden stated that the Afghan 
Government was unlikely to fall and there would be no chaotic 
evacuations of Americans similar to the end of Vietnam. Upon receiving 
the dissent cable from the Embassy, Secretary Blinken had a moral duty 
and was statutorily obligated to inform the Congress and American 
public (22 U.S.C. 2680(b)) that President Biden's remarks needed to be 
clarified to prevent any confusion at home and abroad.
    Throughout the month of July and into August, prior to the collapse 
of the Afghan Government, the United States Intelligence Community 
warned President Biden and his top advisors, including Secretary 
Blinken, that the situation in Afghanistan was worsening, the Afghan 
military was ill-prepared to deal with the Taliban, and a preemptive 
removal of American troops was ill-advised.
    In direct conflict with the intelligence and advice provided by his 
own diplomats and the intelligence community, Secretary Blinken failed 
to advise and counsel the President accordingly and did not inform the 
Congress nor American citizens at home and abroad of the dangers posed 
by the advancing Taliban of which he was explicitly aware.
    As a result, the Afghan Government collapsed in the month of August 
2021 and American forces have been struggling to retrieve American 
civilians and allies, and a humanitarian crisis has erupted at Hamid 
Karzai Airport in Kabul. Secretary Blinken has not informed the 
American public nor Congress of what actions will be taken to ensure 
the safety of all Americans and American allies in Afghanistan.
    Wherefore, Antony John Blinken, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
                                 <all>