Floor Statement of Congressman Gerald E. Connolly
Opposing Contempt Citation against Attorney General Eric Holder

June 28, 2012

Mister Speaker, the 112^th Congress is on the verge of becoming the first in the history of the United States to hold a sitting cabinet member in contempt of Congress, cementing its legacy as one of the most partisan House of Representatives of all time.

The majority’s irresponsible and unprecedented contempt vote brings dishonor to this House, which has become so clouded in judgment, so besotted with rancor and partisanship, that it is incapable of addressing a fundamental separation of powers conflict in a serious and fair fashion. 

In refusing to engage in good-faith negotiations with the Department of Justice and Attorney General Holder, the majority has exposed this contempt citation for what it really is, an extraordinarily shameful political witch hunt aimed at trashing an honorable man.

It is unacceptable that we are rushing to the floor this unprecedented contempt resolution.  Yesterday, Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter to Speaker Boehner highlighting 100 errors, omissions, and mischaracterizations contained in the contempt citation that was rushed out of our Committee last week on a party-line vote. 

Although some of the contempt citation’s flaws are simply misleading, others are significant legal deficiencies and may contain factual errors that call into question the validity of the contempt resolution itself.

For example, on pages 4 and 5, the contempt citation charges that senior officials at the Department of Justice headquarters “ultimately approved and authorized” Operation Fast and Furious.  However, the contempt citation fails to mention that the Committee has uncovered no evidence that Department of Justice officials, including the Attorney General, ever approved or authorized gunwalking in Operation Fast and Furious.  In fact, the authorization originated at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Field Office in Phoenix, Arizona, not at the Department of Justice’s headquarters in Washington, DC.

On pages 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, and 27, the contempt citation charges the Department of Justice with not producing a series of documents that the Chairman only recently acknowledged the Department is prohibited by law from providing due to the potential impact on ongoing prosecutions.

Clearly, the majority has not taken the necessary time to properly weigh this very serious charge against the Attorney General, if they do not care to correct obvious errors, omissions, and misstated facts.

Regrettably, this deeply flawed and shoddy contempt citation is emblematic of the majority’s reckless behavior throughout this political persecution.  I have been deeply troubled by the tone and tenor of some of the very hostile questioning, and the utter and complete contempt and lack of respect given to the Attorney General of the United States by certain Members of the majority.

When this chapter of Congressional history is written this will not be a brave shining moment.  It will be seen for what it is: a very craven, crass, and partisan move that brought dishonor and shame on the Congress.

I urge my colleagues to join me in restoring honor and dignity to the House of Representatives by opposing the nuclear option: the contempt citation.