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(NewsNation) — House Republicans are ramping up their effort to arrest Attorney General Merrick Garland because of his refusal to turn over tapes of President Biden’s interview with a Justice Department investigator.
Lawmakers currently have a transcript of Biden’s conversation with special counsel Robert Hur, but Republicans argue hearing the tapes will provide more context about the special counsel’s commentary on the president’s memory.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, says it’s a “checks and balances issue.”
“Garland is refusing to comply with the law,” Crenshaw said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill.” “If you’re gonna claim executive privilege, you should have from the beginning. They handed over the transcripts of the interview with Biden, but they didn’t want to hand over the audio recordings.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., will move within days to force a vote on having the House sergeant-at-arms forcibly bring Garland before the House by holding him in “inherent contempt” over his refusal to turn over the tapes with Hur.
Luna sent a letter to her colleagues Monday saying she will call up her inherent contempt resolution “in the next few days.” When she raises the question of privilege, leaders will have to schedule action on the resolution within two legislative days.
Additionally, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the House Judiciary Committee plans to file a lawsuit. The suit would be the latest effort to secure the tapes after the Justice Department informed Congress it would not be bringing criminal charges against Garland despite a House vote to hold him in contempt.
“We are going to file suit next week against the Department of Justice to enforce that subpoena. We will go to district court here in D.C., which is the appropriate venue, and we will fight vigorously to get it,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday.