WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives passed resolutions that find U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his refusal to cooperate with an investigation into “Operation Fast and Furious”. Following the passage of the resolution, U.S. Congressman Bill Flores issued the following statement:

“Attorney General Holder's contempt for the law and for the Constitution has been demonstrated and documented extensively throughout this investigation and during his tenure as Attorney General. His lack of cooperation and failure to provide documents in the ongoing Congressional investigation into the ‘Fast and Furious’ operation is a clear sign of disrespect for the law. This operation allowed over 2,000 weapons to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels, and these weapons are linked to the deaths of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and hundreds of Mexican nationals. Today’s bipartisan votes to find the Attorney General in contempt of Congress are a clear sign that we will not tolerate blatant disregard for the rule of law.

“The Attorney General of the United States is the chief law enforcement official in the federal government. This position requires an individual who remains beyond reproach and who carries out his job without regard to politics. Attorney General Holder has not demonstrated this quality. His failure to comply with Congressional requests regarding ‘Fast and Furious’; his decision to not defend the Defense of Marriage Act; his actions to intervene in States’ immigration, redistricting and voter ID laws; and his failure to prosecute persons involved in voter intimidation activities unequivocally illustrate a glaring lack of the qualities needed to be an impartial and effective U.S. Attorney General.”

With the contempt of Congress resolutions approved, the criminal contempt resolution will send a subpoena to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for enforcement, and the civil contempt resolution will allow the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to go to civil court to sue the Department of Justice to force Holder to turn over the requested documents.

Congressman Bill Flores represents the 17th District of Texas and is an entrepreneur, former energy executive, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and member of the House Budget, Natural Resources and Veterans’ Affairs Committees.

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