Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar plans to lead a “special order” on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives next Wednesday to allow members to speak out about Operation Fast and Furious, The Daily Caller has learned.
The special order – which will take place next Wednesday evening from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the floor of the House – is an official vehicle for House members to express their thoughts on Fast and Furious, the congressional investigations into it and Attorney General Eric Holder’s alleged failure to comply with lawfully issued subpoenas.
A Gosar spokesperson told TheDC that other House members who have confirmed they’ll participate in the special order include Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Texas Rep. Bill Flores, Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland and Mississippi Rep. Alan Nunnelee.
With his official House Resolution of “no confidence” in Holder, Gosar has led the congressional charge for Holder’s resignation or firing over Fast and Furious. Currently, his resolution has 108 cosponsors. Between that resolution and those who have made statements demanding Holder’s resignation or firing, there are 125 House members who have said they want Holder out of office.
Those 125 House members are all Republicans, though, and that’s prompted some on the left and in the Democratic Party to claim that the resignation calls are politically motivated. For instance, Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings, the House oversight committee’s ranking member, has accused Republicans of using Fast and Furious as a “political tool to generate press as part of election-year witch hunt.”
Gosar said Cumming’s claims couldn’t be further from the truth, and argues that it’s the Democrats who are the ones playing politics.
“I continue to marvel at the defense of inaction by the minority calling this is ‘partisan’ politics,” Gosar told TheDC. “I’m confident that the criminals who have firearms, obtained with help by our nations government, will not be checking voter registration cards when choosing their victims.”
“The people around the nation, but specifically in Arizona where operation Fast and Furious was carried out, deserve more from their President and their Attorney General,” Gosar continued. “I will not rest until full answers are given about this project, justice is served for those responsible, and Attorney General Holder takes responsibility for his role.”
Gosar said the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry – who was murdered with Fast and Furious weapons – “deserve[s] no less than every member of congress demanding answers and accountability by Attorney General Holder.” He’s calling on House members who have thus far remained silent on Fast and Furious and demands for Holder’s resignation to step forward and co-sign his no confidence resolution.
“108 members of congress have signed onto my Resolution of No Confidence in Attorney General Holder as a first step towards recognizing that he must be held accountable for the actions of his department and for his personal unwillingness to cooperate with congressional oversight requests,” Gosar said. “I continue to urge members of the Minority to co-sign this Resolution and to speak out for the people of the United States and of Mexico who have and will be in harms way because of Fast and Furious.”
California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has now taken the first formal step in holding Holder in contempt of Congress over Fast and Furious. Issa distributed a briefing paper laying out the case for holding Holder in contempt and a lengthy draft of the contempt citation to Democrats and Republicans on his committee Thursday morning.
Both the contempt citation release and the upcoming House floor special order indicate those pushing for accountability in the Fast and Furious case appear to have the support of House Republican leadership despite a minor kerfuffle that caused some confusion last week.
House GOP leadership aides haven’t immediately responded to TheDC’s requests for comment on these developments.
