Dear Mr. Killion,

Thank you for writing regarding U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) began Project Gunrunner in 2006 with the stated objective to end the sale and export of guns from the United States into Mexico and to deny Mexican drug cartels the firearms considered ”tools of the trade.” However, recent allegations claim that Project Gunrunner actually did the exact opposite, by facilitating the delivery of thousands of United States guns into Mexico. The U.S Department of Justice, which oversees the ATF, has said that the agency did knowingly allow the sale of assault weapons to known traffickers.

On October 18, 2011, I voted to approve an amendment authored by Senator Cornyn (R-TX) that would prevent funding of ”Operation Fast and Furious,” an offshoot of Project Gunrunner. I was pleased that this amendment was adopted by a vote of 99-0.

On June 28, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to hold U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to provide key information related to ”Operation Fast and Furious” requested by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The vote came after several hearings the by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and testimony by Attorney General Holder. After the vote, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would not convene a grand jury or take any further steps to prosecute Attorney General Holder.

I will continue to monitor this ongoing situation and will keep your thoughts in mind if I should have the opportunity to consider this in the U.S. Senate.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator