(Editor's note: This is from Washington Congressman Adam Smith regarding the U.S. House's vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt.)
"Today, for the first time in history, the House of Representatives held a cabinet member in contempt of Congress. This vote achieved nothing, but was done to prove a political point. We are no closer to finding the truth of what happened in 2010, when a U.S. Border Patrol Agent was tragically killed using guns from a botched government operation.
"I am disappointed my Republican colleagues felt it necessary to hold this vote, instead of addressing the real issue of investigating what went wrong, and how we can bring those responsible to justice."
For those who haven't heard, the House of Representatives voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress by a vote of 255-67.
Prior to the vote, some House Democrats walked out in protest.
According to the Huffington Post, Republicans cited Holder's refusal to hand over – without any preconditions – documents that could explain why the Obama administration initially denied that a risky "gun-walking" investigative tactic was used in Operation Fast and Furious, which allowed hundreds of guns to be smuggled from Arizona to Mexico.
