The American People Deserve Answers

Nearly two years ago, the United States embassy in Benghazi, Libya was attacked and today we continue to search for answers. Like many living in Ohio’s 16th District, I am deeply saddened and outraged by the events that transpired on September 11, 2012 that led to the murder of Ambassador Ted Stevens and three Americans in Benghazi. We in the House of Representatives have demanded information from the administration, but sadly the White House has stonewalled our investigation every step of the way. The American people and the victims’ families deserve answers, and I am determined to see that they receive them.

Initially, the White House maintained the attacks were the result of spontaneous demonstrations in reaction to an anti-Islam YouTube video created by an American. However, it quickly became evident that the series of attacks were well-planned and coordinated by terrorists.

Now, it is clear that the administration has been withholding emails that reveal the White House had greater involvement in misleading the American public. These emails surfaced after they were obtained by an outside party, yet they were not handed over to Congress despite a Congressional subpoena. Specifically, the emails provide additional evidence that senior administration officials knew full-well that the attack was not a spontaneous reaction to a YouTube video. This represents a clear violation of the public’s trust and forces us to ask the question – what else is the White House hiding?

House committees have investigated this attack for the past two years, using their subpoena power, holding multiple hearings, and conducting hundreds of interviews in their search for information. Thanks to their outstanding work, we now know much more about the disturbing events than we did during the initial months following the attack. However, questions still remain.

This past week, House Speaker John Boehner announced that the House of Representatives will vote to establish a Select Committee on Benghazi. I applaud Speaker Boehner for his decision as it is Congress’ responsibility to provide oversight, and the White House has disregarded its authority throughout our fact-finding mission. The Select Committee will allow the House’s investigation to be more narrowly focused and will undoubtedly lead to greater transparency and accountability.

It is my hope that the Select Committee’s investigation into these attacks will not only lead to a change in State Department security protocols for its embassies and consulates abroad, but also that it will bring to light the truth about the administration’s obstruction of the facts and what truly transpired in Libya on the night of September 11, 2012. Ultimately, we must determine what went wrong so that we can prevent similar unnecessary losses of life from occurring again. We owe that much to the victims’ families and the American people.