On the recordJune 28, 2012
I thank the gentleman for yielding. When the Founding Fathers created our government and established the committees in Congress, they had authorizing committees and they had appropriating committees. In 1808, the predecessor of this committee was established for a fundamental reason, and that's to make certain that programs and funding were properly executed and used by agencies created by Congress. Congress created the law that created the Department of Justice. Congress funded the programs that are under the Department of Justice. It's our responsibility to investigate when things go wrong. And things went wrong. An agent of the United States was murdered with weapons which were funded by the agency that we created. All we have asked for is the documents. All we want are the facts, and we have been thwarted. Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States, the highest judicial enforcement officer of the United States, has been in contempt, is in contempt, and is showing contempt for the Congress and the responsibility under the Constitution of this important committee of Congress. I urge adoption of the contempt resolution against the Attorney General. {time} 1520
