The American Spectator

The House Oversight Committee has scheduled a vote next week on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas related to Operation Fast and Furious. According to CBS News, it’s only the fourth time Congress has launched contempt action against an executive branch member in thirty years.

Here’s a taste of the statement from the committee’s chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA):

For over a year and a half, the House Oversight Committee, with Senator Chuck Grassley, has conducted a joint investigation of reckless conduct in Operation Fast and Furious. With the support of House leadership, the Republican Conference, and even some Democratic Members who have expressed concern to the White House over the Justice Department’s failure to cooperate, this investigation has yielded significant results.

House Speaker John Boehner supports the contempt action, saying earlier today, “The Justice Department is out of excuses.” Operation Fast and Furious was a failed sting operation in which federal agents were instructed to let guns be transported to Mexico. Related weapons were later tied to the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and have been connected to the deaths of many Mexican citizens. I wrote about Fast and Furious in the February issue of the print magazine. The committee vote is scheduled for June 20.