House Panel Recommends Attorney General Eric Holder Contempt Citation Along Party Lines 23-17 … Full House Vote Set for next Week

Following President Barack Obama’s last second rescue of Attorney General Eric Holder and invoking Executive Privilege in the Fast and Furious scandal, the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee  recommended that Holder be cited for contempt of Congress. The vote was along party lines, 23 to 17. Committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) went forth with the measure, saying the White House assertion of executive privilege “falls short” of any reason to delay the hearing.

Voting on strictly partisan lines, a House committee recommended Wednesday that Attorney General Eric Holder be cited for contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents relating to the botched Fast and Furious weapons sting operation.

The vote ended an extraordinary daylong hearing that took place after President Barack Obama asserted executive privilege over some documents sought by the panel investigating Fast and Furious.

The committee measure now goes to the full House for consideration, expected next week, of what would be an unprecedented event — Congress holding a sitting attorney general in contempt.

Mere minutes after the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s decision, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA.) announced that the full House will vote on the contempt measure next week. If this vote goes forward, it will be interesting to see what Democrats Representatives do who are in “swing” and “battleground” states.

“While we had hoped it would not come to this, unless the attorney general reevaluates his choice and supplies the promised documents, the House will vote to hold him in contempt next week,” the Republican leaders said in a statement. “If, however, Attorney General Holder produces these documents prior to the scheduled vote, we will give the Oversight Committee an opportunity to review in hopes of resolving this issue.”

Just how many US Representatives are going to appear to the voters as being for withholding documents against the family of slain border agent Brian Terry? The family of murdered Brian Terry has stated that Barack Obama has made matters worse by invoking “executive privilege”.

Terry family attorney Pat McGroder on Wednesday released the following statement from Terry’s parents Josephine Terry and Kent Terry Sr.: “Attorney General Eric Holder’s refusal to fully disclose the documents associated with Operation Fast and Furious and President Obama’s assertion of executive privilege serves to compound this tragedy. It denies the Terry family and the American people the truth.”

The Terrys said that their son “was killed by members of a Mexican drug cartel armed with weapons from this failed Justice Department gun trafficking investigation. For more than 18 months we have been asking our federal government for justice and accountability. The documents sought by the House Oversight Committee and associated with Operation Fast and Furious should be produced and turned over to the committee. Our son lost his life protecting this nation, and it is very disappointing that we are now faced with an administration that seems more concerned with protecting themselves rather than revealing the truth behind Operation Fast and Furious.”