Holder: ‘I Stuck by My Guns’ - at least two of which were used in the murder of a US Border Patrol officer

(CNSNews.com) – Embattled Attorney General Eric Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that he has “stuck by my guns” during his time in office.

“I’ve enjoyed my time as attorney general,” he told the panel. “It’s been a tough job. It is one that takes a lot out of you. Some raised concerns as to whether I was tough enough for this job. I think that people will hopefully see that I’ve done this job in a way that is consistent with our values.”

He was responding to Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) who asked Holder if he would consider serving a second term as attorney general if Obama is reelected.

“I stuck by my guns,” Holder continued. “I’ve been criticized a lot for the positions that I’ve taken. I’ve lost some. I’ve won more than I’ve lost. I’m proud of the work that I’ve done. More important, I’m proud of the 116,000 people in this United States Department of Justice. This has been the highlight of my career to have been the attorney general of the United States, to work with you all and to serve this president. What my future holds, frankly, I’m just not sure.”

The House Oversight and Government Reform committee, which has been investigating the Justice Department’s involvement in a gunrunning operation dubbed “Fast and Furious,” plans to vote June 20 on whether to hold Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to provide more than 100,000 subpoenaed documents pertaining to the botched gun sting.

As part of Fast and Furious, a Justice Department program that began in September 2009, law enforcement knowingly allowed about 2,000 U.S. guns to flow to Mexican drug cartels, with the intent of tracking the weapons and making arrests. However, law enforcement lost track of most of the weapons.

The program was halted in December 2010 after two weapons from the program were found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.