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Secretary of State Antony Blinken will skip Tuesday morning’s GOP-led House hearing on the Biden administration’s chaotic final withdraw of U.S. military troops in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The county’s top diplomat instead sent a five-page letter to the House Foreign Affairs Committee is which he explains why he will not attend the panel’s hearing, largely citing his decision to instead attend the United Nations General Assembly gathering this week in New York City.

The hearing is titled “An Assessment of the State Department’s Withdrawal from Afghanistan by America’s Top Diplomat.”

Thirteen U.S. service members were killed Aug. 26, 2021, in a terror attack in the final week of the withdraw.

In Blinken’s letter, dated Sunday and obtained by Politico and other news outlet, he writes, “The events of this week were scheduled many months ago, and the dates of the General Assembly’s high-level week have long been publicly noticed.”

Blinken also argues in the letter, addressed to committee Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican, that “U.S. representation at the highest levels in these engagements is essential” and says he’s open to testifying after he returns from his diplomatic travels.

However, the offer to reschedule does not appear to satisfy McCaul, who on Monday released a contempt resolution report referring to subpoenas earlier this month “compelling his appearance on a date the secretary stated he would be in the United States.” 

Blinken is poised to become the third Biden Cabinet member to be sanctioned this year by House Republicans. They impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in February and in June held Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt.