Washington, June 11, 2012 -

Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) released the following statement today, urging the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to move forward with the vote scheduled next week on whether to hold U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress over his refusal to cooperate with the investigation of the controversial “Fast and Furious” gun-tracking operation.  Rep. Graves co-sponsored H.R. 490 earlier this year, which expressed no confidence in Holder’s leadership of the Justice Department.  Rep. Graves also signed a letter sent to President Obama in 2011, urging the President to hold Mr. Holder accountable for Fast and Furious – and to ask for his resignation.

“It’s time to finally get to the bottom of the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and what the Justice Department knew about ‘Operation Fast and Furious.’  Time after time, Attorney General Holder has ignored calls from Members of Congress to cooperate with a joint investigation into reckless conduct during this botched operation.  If Mr. Holder won’t comply voluntarily, Congress must force him to answer to the American people.  The Department of Justice is clearly suffering from a lack of leadership.  It’s time for Mr. Holder to finally resign.”

Background:
The “Fast and Furious” program oversaw sales of nearly 2,000 firearms to suspected Mexican drug cartels in an attempt to trace gun trafficking.  But, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered only 567 of the guns.  Many of the guns were found at violent crime scenes, including at the shooting death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.  The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has scheduled a vote on a contempt report for June 20, 2012, which is the precursor to a contempt vote by the full House of Representatives.