Benghazi Still on Our Minds

It’s now been nearly two years since our nation learned about the heartbreaking tragedy that claimed American lives in Benghazi, Libya. On the twelfth anniversary of September 11, four innocent Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were murdered during what we later learned was a terrorist attack on our consulate. Coincidentally just weeks before the presidential election, the Administration’s explanation to the American people changed dramatically, justifiably causing suspicion of a political cover up.

Those suspicions were further strengthened last week after the discovery of White House emails that revealed the Administration’s role in deliberately misreporting the cause of the attack. As we remember, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice appeared before a slew of Sunday news shows and explained that the attack was the result of a spontaneous protest due to an anti-Muslim video. However, evidence later pointed to a planned terrorist attack by Ansar al-Sharia—a group directly connected to Islamic terrorists. As we later learned, even though the State Department almost immediately knew about this connection, long before Rice appeared on television, the Administration chose to misinform and mislead the American people anyway.

While it seems that Democrats are eager to leave Benghazi unsolved, keep the truth buried and in essence claim that too much time has passed for it to matter anymore, that doesn’t change the reality of the matter or the fact that the Administration misled the American people about the nature of the attack. In no way should the passage of time lessen the urgency or importance of uncovering the truth. Especially in light of the recent White House emails, it is more important than ever that we get answers about Benghazi and demand accountability of those involved in the cover up. This is necessary not only for the families of the victims, who desperately need closure about their loved ones, but we also owe it to the entire nation.

As we look back on all of the events surrounding Benghazi, there are circumstances that, if addressed when first raised, could have prevented the attack. First, due to the complacency of the Administration, Americans at the consulate weren’t adequately equipped, despite consulate staff requesting additional security and support months earlier. Unfortunately, no additional cover was provided. Without question, this should remind us that we must be vigilant and ready to combat terrorism, especially when and where the risk of attack is higher. Considering that we had individuals stationed in such a dangerous region leading up to the especially high-risk day of September 11, it raises questions about the State Department’s ability to assess risk and adequately protect American lives, property and assets.

Second, Benghazi also demonstrated the Administration’s incompetency. In the days and weeks following the attack, Americans were left wondering and confused about the situation due to a story that kept changing and a president that didn’t quickly address the tragedy. When the Administration finally offered an explanation of the attack, it blamed a YouTube video as the cause, yet still no one has been held responsible for the chain of events leading up to and including the murder of four Americans.

That’s why I’m pleased that Speaker John Boehner recommended the establishment of a select committee to further investigate the events surrounding the attack in Benghazi. Currently, five different House committees hold jurisdiction in areas related to the investigation. While progress has been made, the new bipartisan panel in the House, established last week through passage of H. Res. 567, will streamline the process by providing subpoena power over all the relevant information and key witnesses. With clear objectives, under a definite timeline and through the dogged leadership of Congressman Trey Gowdy, a gifted lawmaker and former prosecutor, I am confident that we can get to the bottom of the situation, even if it’s politically inconvenient for the Obama Administration.