In a razor-thin vote, the House has moved to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in criminal contempt of Congress, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between congressional Republicans and the Justice Department. With a final tally of 208-207, the decision will place Garland among the few attorneys general in U.S. history to face such a sanction.

The core issue centers around the Justice Department’s reluctance to release audio tapes concerning Joe Biden’s dealings with classified documents. Spearheaded by Jim Jordan (R-OH) and James Comer (R-KY), Republicans argue that this refusal to comply fully with a congressional subpoenamerits the contempt designation.

The subpoena is part of an ongoing push to uncover the interview audio from special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into whether any crimes were committed by Biden regarding his handling of classified materials. Despite Hur concluding his investigation without charging Biden, GOP lawmakers are pressing forward, intensifying their critique of the Justice Department’s actions under Garland’s leadership.

A contempt vote has been looming since last month when two committees forwarded a resolution to censure Garland.

The Biden Administration has repeatedly cited executive privilege in refusing to hand over the audio. Biden’s team also admitted to editing the interview transcripts that were provided to lawmakers in order to make the president appear more coherent. Garland has refused to hand over the audio, stating that transcripts of the interview prove that nothing relating to the House impeachment inquiry was discussed.