Happy New Year, Mr. Attorney General!

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that he testify before the committee on January 24th.  He was given a choice of six alternate dates for the hearings in either January or February. He is asked to confirm his attendance by January 3rd.

In the letter, Issa explains that the hearing will cover what senior Justice Department officials could have - and should have - done to prevent a reckless program like Operation Fast and Furious.

The full letter can be found here.

This letter puts the ball in Holder's court as to whether he appears voluntarily before the committee or he is subpoenaed. If it is the latter, I think it devolve into a test of wills between the executive and legislative branches.