June 28, 2012: Hastings Blasts Republicans' Contempt Vote

Statement

Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) made the following statement on the passage by the House of Representatives of a Republican resolution to hold Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress:

"It is contemptuous that Republicans decided to cast a stain on this institution by finding the United States Attorney General in contempt of Congress. No Cabinet official in the history of this country has ever been held in contempt. I warned yesterday that if we did this, history will judge us harshly. And it will.

"Brian Terry, a U.S. law enforcement agent, was killed. That is a terrible tragedy for his family and our country. I am eternally grateful to those law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line to protect the nation. However, this vote today was not about what happened to Agent Terry. It was political, plain and simple.

"We need to address the doubling of student loan interest rates in this country, and yet, Republicans have made it their priority to pass a measure that does nothing to help struggling Americans. Our nation's transportation infrastructure is in serious need of repair, and yet, we have not passed a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill. Americans need jobs to pay their bills, provide for their families, and keep their homes. And yet, House Republicans believe that our time is better spent playing politics with this contempt vote, rather than actually creating jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work.

"Today's vote was nothing more than a partisan political circus and House Republicans should be ashamed of themselves."

Source