New Fast & Furious Developments

Statement

On Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) delivered to Congress 650 pages of previously unreleased documents regarding gunwalking operations carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). This document dump came the night before a top DOJ official, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, testified before Congress on the matter. In his testimony, Mr. Breuer acknowledged that he was aware of "Operation Fast and Furious" in April 2010 as well as a similar gunwalking operation that took place in 2006, dubbed "Operation Wide Receiver." Remarkably, Mr. Breuer claimed he didn't "draw the connection" between the tactics used in both programs. Even more troubling, however, is Attorney General Holder's claim that he had no knowledge of gunwalking programs that were taking place on his watch. As the former Attorney General of Texas, it is inconceivable to me that such a large and controversial program could take place without the knowledge of our nation's chief law enforcement officer.

The Attorney General will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, November 8th. I am a member of that Committee, and will demand a full accounting of all gunwalking operations conducted on his watch, including allegations of a Texas-based scheme. When 2,000 firearms go missing and at least one is found at the crime scene of a murdered U.S. Border Patrol agent, Americans deserve answers. The Senate has already rejected such gunwalking programs by unanimously passing legislation I authored which forbids programs that allow guns to "walk" without continuous surveillance by law enforcement. I look forward to joining my colleagues from both sides of the aisle as I continue to press for answers.

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