According to the letter, obtained by Punchbowl News, Blinken said he was “profoundly disappointed” with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) due to his nonaccommodating stance toward his travel schedule in his capacity as secretary of state. Blinken outlined his communications with the committee and McCaul, saying he spoke with McCaul in August and earlier this month in September “personally sought to reach an accommodation” with the panel.

“As I have made clear, I am willing to testify and have offered several reasonable alternatives to the dates unilaterally demanded by the Committee during which I am carrying out the President’s important foreign policy objectives,” Blinken wrote.

Blinken said he has been busy spearheading “diplomatic engagements on matters of great concern to the American people including the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.” 

He said that he called McCaul on Sept. 3, where he told him he would be traveling on both of the dates McCaul proposed. Blinken is also involved with events at the United Nations General Assembly this week, which he notes have been scheduled for months.

“On September 24 alone — the day you have asked me to appear — I will: represent the United States at the UN Security Council debate on the war in Ukraine, during which I will debate the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers; host alongside the President a leader-level meeting of the United States-led Global Coalition on Synthetic Drugs to fight the production and trafficking of fentanyl; accompany President Biden for his address to the General Assembly and his bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General Guterres; meet with foreign ministers in the Partnership for Global Infrastructure to secure commitments for the Lobito Corridor in Africa; and conduct several other bilateral and multilateral engagements,” Blinken said, listing out his prior responsibilities which he says he made McCaul aware of despite McCaul requesting his presence on these days.

Earlier this year, McCaul subpoenaed Blinken and threatened to hold him in contempt as part of the committee’s investigation into the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. McCaul and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have been investigating President Joe Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation of U.S. troops and released a report earlier this month on their findings.

Blinken noted that his department “expended thousands of hours” to get the House Foreign Affairs Committee the requested materials for its report, including documents, briefings, and interviews. Blinken also said that he appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in May. 

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While Blinken proposed some of his senior staff replace him in the hearings, he said he was willing to make himself available after returning from travel.

“I am committed to engaging with you in accordance with the constitutionally-mandated accommodation process and hope we can reach an agreement on one of the reasonable alternatives I have offered for your consideration,” Blinken wrote.