WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan historic votes Thursday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in civil and criminal contempt of Congress for declining to turn over documents related to a bungled gun-tracking operation.
A sitting attorney general never has been held in contempt. Republicans picked an odd day to set a precedent. They scheduled the votes the same day the Supreme Court is deciding the legality of the nation's health care law.
Passage of the resolutions is not in doubt. Republicans control the House, and are likely to pick up Democrats who support the National Rifle Association. The NRA said it's keeping score of how members vote, partly because the gun owners' group believes the administration wanted to use the gun-tracking operation to make the case for more gun control.
