Washington, D.C. – House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) expressed support today for the decision by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate in their “Operation Fast and Furious” investigation. During the nearly year-and-a-half long investigation regarding a gun-running operation that resulted in the death of border agent Brian Terry, the Department of Justice has turned over a limited portion of the documents requested by the committee.
“It is deeply disappointing that the Department of Justice refuses to fully cooperate with the Oversight Committee in its ongoing investigation of ‘Fast and Furious.’ Attorney General Holder’s obstructionism can no longer be tolerated by this Congress, so holding him in contempt is absolutely justified,” said Chairman Price. “Chairman Issa and the members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are to be commended for their patient yet methodical pursuit of the truth and their tireless advocacy for justice.”
Just prior to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s markup of the contempt report this morning, the White House announced it would assert executive privilege over “Fast and Furious” documents, per a request by Attorney General Eric Holder.
“For a president who promised his would be the ‘most transparent administration’ in American history, his actions regarding ‘Fast and Furious’ prove that politics has trumped principle. President Obama has signaled to the American people that protecting his political appointees is more important than the pursuit of justice and accountability at the highest levels of our government,” said Chairman Price. “The White House’s actions to shield these documents from congressional oversight further erodes the American people’s faith and confidence in this administration. It raises legitimate questions about what involvement the White House had in either ‘Fast and Furious’ itself or the resulting investigation.”