On the day the House Oversight Committee scheduled a vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress, committee Chair Darrell Issa predicted that at least 31 Democrats would join Republicans when the debate came to the floor.
Now that the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on whether Holder should be held in contempt on Thursday, that theory will be put to the test.
Issa based that theory off a letter he sent to President Barack Obama on June 3, 2011, signed by 31 Democrats — roughly one-sixth of the Democratic membership in the House. The letter was written by the Democrats to "express serious concerns about the Administration's response" to what's become known as the "Fast and Furious" scandal.
"We urge you to instruct the Department of Justice to promptly provide complete answers to all Congressional inquiries in this issue," the letter reads.
So far, at least five Democrats have confirmed they'll be supporting the contempt resolution: Reps. Nick Rahall (West Virginia), Collin Peterson (Minnesota) Jim Matheson (Utah), John Barrow (Georgia) and Mike McIntyre (North Carolina). Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer, the Democratic House head counter, said there would be some in his party who supported the contempt resolution.
"Utahns expect and deserve transparency and accountability from government officials, especially when a tragedy such as the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent occurs," Matheson said in a statement. "It just compounds the tragedy when both sides play politics instead of releasing the facts. The Terry family, the public and Congress deserve answers. Sadly, it seems that it will take holding the Attorney General in contempt to communicate that evasiveness is unacceptable. It is a vote I will support.”
Read the original letter below:
Democrats' Letter To President Obama on 'Fast and Furious'
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