Politics

Senate passes amendment to block funding for future Fast and Furious programs

C.J. Ciaramella Contributor
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The Senate passed an amendment Tuesday to block any federal funding to programs similar to Operation Fast and Furious — the controversial program that allowed guns to be walked across the U.S.–Mexican border and into the hands of violent drug cartels.

Introduced by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the amendment passed with unanimous support. It was tacked onto an appropriations bill for law enforcement funding.

“When I look at what happened in Operation Fast and Furious, I was fast to be furious about the bungled, botched occurrences that occurred,” Democrat Sen. Barbara Mikulski said. “It was poorly planned, poorly executed, had flawed leadership, and it was definitely of questionable integrity and value.”

The full text of the article reads, “No funds made available under this Act shall be used to allow the knowing transfer of firearms to agents of drug cartels where law enforcement personnel of the United States do not continuously monitor or control such firearms at all times.”

Some of the guns allowed to be walked across the border were later linked to the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Sen. Cornyn said the amendment was just the beginning of stopping such operations and holding the Justice Department accountable. (RELATED: Issa theorizes about missing third weapon from scene of border agent’s murder)

“Today’s bipartisan effort is just the first step towards ensuring that such a foolish operation can never be repeated by our own law enforcement,” Sen. Cornyn said in a statement. “The onus is now on Attorney General Holder to hear not just today’s bipartisan call for answers, but the American people’s demands that Washington be held accountable.”

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