The Republican-controlled House has voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt over a congressional probe into the controversial gun-sting operation known as “Fast and Furious.” The operation saw U.S. agents encouraging the sale of thousands of guns to middlemen for Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to gain access to senior-level figures within Mexico’s criminal organizations. Republican lawmakers censured Holder for withholding documents, making him the first sitting attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress. House Speaker John Boehner said the vote would help bring justice to the family of a U.S. agent allegedly killed by firearms that came from “Fast and Furious” gun sales.
House Speaker John Boehner: “Now, I don’t take this matter lightly, and I frankly hoped it would never come to this. The House’s focus is on jobs and on the economy. But no Justice Department is above the law, and no Justice Department is above the Constitution, which each of us has sworn an oath to uphold. So I ask the members of this body to come together and to support this resolution, so that we can seek the answers that the Terry family and the American people deserve.”
Democrats have denounced the Republican act as a political stunt. The documents in question pertain to the Justice Department’s response to Republican subpoenas, not the workings of the operation itself. Before the vote, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland helped lead around 100 Democrats in a walkout of the House chamber.
Rep. Steny Hoyer: “We, too, are outraged about this process, and let me quote the speaker: ‘We will not stand for this.’ And I would ask my House Republican colleagues and those who believe that we should be here protecting the American people, protecting our Constitution, not vote on this bill. Let’s just get up and leave. My colleagues may well follow that advice.”
At least 17 Democrats voted with Republicans in an apparent bid to maintain the backing of the National Rifle Association, which supported the contempt vote. Speaking in Florida, Holder criticized Republicans and vowed to continue his duties.
Attorney General Eric Holder: “Today’s vote is the regrettable culmination of what became a misguided and politically motivated investigation during an election year. By advancing it over the past year and a half, Congressman Issa and others have focused on politics over public safety.”