While Republican Senators Bob Corker of Tennessee, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Jim Risch of Idaho are not among the 54 members of Congress who have demanded Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation over Operation Fast and Furious, they told The Daily Caller that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) gun-walking scandal is a serious issue that merits their continued attention.
A spokeswoman for Corker told TheDC the Senator thinks it’s up to the president to “hire or fire members of his cabinet,” but he “cannot understand how ATF could permit the illegal sale of firearms to Mexican drug cartels, and believes such a failure of law enforcement should have serious consequences for all involved.”
“Further, he believes Congress should continue to ensure the Obama administration resolves this issue and prevents it from ever happening again,” Corker’s spokeswoman continued.
Sen. Chambliss told TheDC he is continuing to “monitor” the congressional investigations into Fast and Furious, but hasn’t yet made a decision about how Holder has been implicated in the debacle.
“While I have serious questions about the way the operation was carried out and its results, I have not taken a position on the involvement of Attorney General Holder,” Chambliss said. “As the Judiciary Committee continues its investigation, I will act accordingly.”
A spokesman for Risch told TheDC that he is also to monitoring the situation closely, and hasn’t yet made a decision about Holder. “Senator Risch is concerned about the issue and is paying close attention as new information comes to light,” Risch said. “He has not made any statement about the Attorney General in regards to his handling of the issue.”
Two Senators, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, have now called for Holder’s immediate resignation. They join 52 members of the House, three presidential candidates and two sitting governors.