The House of Representatives is gearing up for a vote on two contempt resolutions against Attorney General Merrick Garland, with Republicans already strategizing alternative options if the Justice Department refuses to bring criminal charges against its leader. This comes as the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees passed measures on Thursday, accusing Garland of withholding the audio recording of President Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, despite providing the transcript.

The resolutions, which hold Garland in contempt of Congress, have now advanced to the House floor for a full vote scheduled for next week. However, it is yet to be determined when the bill will come to the floor, as that decision rests with House GOP leadership. The Washington Examiner reached out to Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) for comment on the matter.

The contempt resolution against Garland is a part of a larger impeachment inquiry into President Biden, with Republicans alleging impropriety in his family members' foreign business dealings. Despite the claims, little to no evidence supporting these allegations has been presented thus far. The upcoming vote on the contempt resolution poses as Speaker Mike Johnson's next challenge as he navigates a precarious one-seat majority and resistance from hard-line conservatives.

Speaker Johnson recently survived a motion to oust him from his position, as House Democrats joined most Republicans to table the effort. However, Johnson faces a greater dilemma as many GOP members represent districts that voted for Biden or are centrist Republicans contending in competitive primaries and general elections scheduled for November. It has been estimated that "easily 40-50" Republicans are likely to vote against the impeachment.

If the resolutions manage to pass the full House, a criminal referral will be made to the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C. However, it seems unlikely that any criminal proceedings will follow against Garland, who heads the DOJ.

In anticipation of the contempt vote, the Justice Department announced on Thursday that President Biden invoked executive privilege over the audio recordings, further complicating House Republicans' efforts to obtain them. Nevertheless, Republicans have devised alternative paths should the DOJ refuse to comply with the contempt resolutions.

One possible route involves allowing the courts to determine the viability of the president's claim of executive privilege. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) expressed his belief that resorting to court battles is "very likely." Some Republicans have criticized Biden's assertion of executive privilege as a political maneuver. Legal experts have argued that since Biden waived privilege with the transcript, it should apply to the audio recording as well.

Another option available to GOP members is to revive a long-dormant House contempt power, proposed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL). Luna's resolution suggests utilizing the power to detain and imprison individuals until they comply with congressional demands. This process, which has not been used since 1935, would involve the arrest of the contemptuous individual by the sergeant-at-arms, followed by a trial on the House floor and the possibility of imprisonment or detention in the Capitol.

Luna's office confirmed the ongoing status of her resolution. During the Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, Luna mentioned her resolution while discussing the issue amid her and other members' trip to attend the trial pertaining to former President Trump's alleged hush money payments.

Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans clashed during the Judiciary Committee hearing, with Republicans arguing that the executive branch cannot determine what evidence should be provided to the committee. Democrats accused Republicans of politicizing the issue and seeking the audio recording for their political campaigns or to smear President Biden over his stutter.

The White House, when asked about the political implications of releasing the audio recording, avoided a direct response. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the transcripts were already available and emphasized that Garland stressed the importance of protecting law enforcement files like these.

Although special counsel Robert Hur deemed President Biden's conduct as posing "serious risks to national security," he did not pursue charges, believing that a sympathetic jury might acquit him due to his age and memory impairment.

As the vote on the contempt resolution approaches, House Republicans are bracing themselves for the potential outcome and exploring alternative measures to ensure accountability. The course of action may involve legal battles in the courts or the enforcement of inherent contempt powers.