Coming up Wednesday
Rep. Cummings: Fast & Furious report shows 'no effort to mislead Congress,' says 'we need to move to reform'
This morning on "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," House Oversight Committee ranking member Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) responds to the report from the Inspector General of the Department of Justice on Operation Fast & Furious.
"I think the attorney general has said over and over again that this was a botched and irresponsible operation," Rep Cummings says. "He made that very clear. But keep in mind what the report also said. This was a bottom-up operation, not a top-down. In other words, the Phoenix office of the Aft and the Arizona U.S. attorney's office, the report says, were responsible for this."
"But I think Eric Holder makes it clear he takes responsibility for this as head, but at the same time, it's kind of hard to take full responsibility of something that you haven't even been provided information with regard to," Rep Cummings adds.
See more from the interview in the clip below. Rush transcript available after the jump.
Rep. Gowdy: Fast & Furious probe 'never about politics,' DOJ should not be treated as another political entity
This morning on "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) weighed in on the Justice Department's independent inspector general's report into Operation Fast and Furious.
"I don't care whether the Bull Moose party, the Whig Party, the Republican Party or the Democrat party sanctioned gun walking. It is wrong," he says. "I have consistently said that I have no evidence that Attorney General Holder knew about gun walking before you and I knew about about it. The question then is, should he have known about it? Is there a failure to supervise and lead within the department? And that's not a political question."
"This is bigger than politics," he adds. "It's about respect for the Department of Justice, and entity I used to work for."
[MORE TO COME]
Rep. Cleaver says walkout on Holder contempt vote to show 'some of us just don’t want to observe an injustice taking place,' says 'this whole deal stinks'
This morning, the House of Representatives will make history. For the first time ever, they could hold a vote to hold a sitting United States attorney general in contempt of Congress.
They're voting against Attorney General Eric Holder, for withholding documents about the failed "Fast and Furious" program. A final attempt by Justice Department officials to negotiate with House Republicans failed on Tuesday, and now, a group of House Democrats are planning a walkout to boycott the vote.
This morning on "Starting Point," Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), explains why he's leading the charge on the Democratic walkout.
Transcript available after the jump.
NRA's Wayne Lapierre on AG Holder in contempt: We want 'Fast & Furious' truth
NRA's Wayne Lapierre on group's letter calling for Attorney Gen. Holder's resignation for the 'Fast and Furious' program.
Rep. Cummings: Holder contempt vote on Fast and Furious 'not about the facts, this is about politics'
Attorney General Eric Holder could be held in contempt of Congress after a party line vote Wednesday by the House Oversight committee. The committee cited Holder for failing to turn over documents relating to the botched "Fast and Furious" weapons sting operation, even after President Barack Obama asserted executive privilege over some documents sought by the panel. The recommendation now goes to the full House for a vote next week.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, tells Soledad on "Starting Point" that he believes President Obama had no choice but to use executive privilege on the documents, and says "this is not about the facts. This is about politics."
Transcript available after the jump.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): Fast and Furious a 'stupid program,' wants person who approved the program to be fired
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to recommend that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder be cited for contempt of Congress for witholding documents requested in the investigation of the failed "Fast and Furious" sting operation.
The "Fast and Furious" sting was intended to trace suspected illegal arms as they traveled across the U.S.-Mexico border. However, U.S. authorities lost track of some of the weapons which were eventually found at the crime scene of a killed border patrol agent. Questions about the failed operation spurred an investigation into the sting program
A vote next week by the full House could put Holder in contempt of Congress, a move that would be unprecedented. Meanwhile, President Obama is being criticized by Republicans for using executive privilege just hours before Wednesday's vote to prevent the documents from being disclosed.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) helped launched the investigation and tells Soledad O'Brien on CNN's "Starting Point" that the Fast and Furious program was "stupid" and says the withheld documents are essential to the investigation of the program, "In order to be a check on the executive branch under our Constitution, we need this information."
Transcript available after the jump.
Rep. King: G-20 meetings 'pretty much nonproductive," says U.S. has to get 'our own house in shape' economically
This morning on "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," Rep. Peter King (R-NY) weighs in on the G-20 meetings, explaining why 'it's vital' that President Obama work with European countries to shore up the world economy.
"The global economy is a factor but we also have to get our own house in shape," King says. "The fact is that I believe the president's policies such as the stimulus, such as Obamacare, have not helped the economy. I believe we have to do more as far as controlling spending. We should not be increasing taxes. And I think the American people are looking also for a sense of confidence in the executive. Right now, I would say one of the problems that the president has with the overall economy is that people do not have faith in him or the direction which he is taking the country."
King adds, "Obviously, what happens in Europe and Asia, particularly in Europe, is important to us. But we can't just blame it all on Europe, the way the president tried to blame it all on George Bush for the last three years."
Rep. King also weighs in on Attorney General Eric Holder's possible contempt hearing before Congress today for not handing over "Fast and Furious" program documents, and addresses the hostage standoff in France.
Rep. Elijah Cummings: Holder contempt hearing 'quite likely,' says it's an effort to embarrass President Obama
EDITOR'S NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to President Barack Obama asserting executive privilege over documents sought by the panel investigating the botched Fast and Furious gun-running sting. Read more here.
The Attorney General Eric Holder could be held in contempt of Congress today, after he and Committee Chairman Darrell Issa met yesterday for about 20 minutes over the documents that were connected to the botched "Fast and Furious" program. Issa wants Holder to turn over more files connected to the program that led guns end up in the hands of Mexican drug gangs. But Holder hasn't done so and the two men have failed to reach an agreement.
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), member of the Oversight Committee who was present during that meeting, explains to Soledad that he does believe a contempt hearing is 'quite likely' and says he believes this is all in an effort to try to embarrass President Obama.
See more from the video below. Transcript from the interview after the jump.
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