Opinion: The Department of Injustice

The Department of Injustice

By Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle

Published February 02, 2012 | FoxNews.com

President Obama taglined his promise "to usher in a new era of open government" with this Justice Louis Brandeis quote, "[s]unlight is said to be the best of disinfectants." What the American people have received is a government shrouded in darkness.

Since early 2011, congressional Republicans and Democrats have requested information from the Obama administration relating to the mismanagement of Operation Fast and Furious – a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) strategy of gunwalking that led to the unfortunate death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has stalled congressional investigations and withheld tens of thousands of pages of documents which are believed to outline the Department of Justice's knowledge of the program. To date, the Attorney General has held no main Justice official or appointee responsible for overseeing or approving the tactics employed in Operation Fast and Furious. He has denied responsibility and boldly rests this argument on his assertion that he was unaware of the program.

Such actions by a member of the president's cabinet do not indicate, by President Obama's words, the "most transparent administration ever." In fact, they indicate the opposite. No American should accept that an agency head is not aware of an operation of this magnitude taking place – even if it is true. And while Holder balks at congressional requests, the family of Brian Terry is left wondering why the Government has turned its back on him.

When I came to Congress one year ago, public approval of the president and members of Congress were nearing historic lows. I expected to find a broken Washington. I am sad to say that I have found just that.