Holder agreed to a meeting but told Issa he wanted to include Cummings and Leahy. His letter Monday said the purpose of the meeting would be to reach an agreement that would avoid a "constitutional confrontation," a reference to the committee's planned vote on the contempt measure.

Last week, Holder fended off a call for his resignation at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, accused him of misleading Congress over the Fast and Furious program and other misdeeds.

Holder called Cornyn's complaint "almost breathtaking in its inaccuracy," adding, "I don't have any intention of resigning."