House takes Intel Chairman Rogers off bill requiring probe of embassy attacks

The House on Thursday officially struck House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike J. Rogers (R-Mich.) from the list of members co-sponsoring a bill that would require an investigation into the September attacks on U.S. missions in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.

According to House aides, Rogers was never supposed to be a co-sponsor of the bill, which incidentally was referred to his committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala.) was meant to be an original sponsor of the bill from Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.). But according to Duncan's office, he was listed as Mike J. Rogers, the Intel Committee chairman. In October, the Alabama representative added his name to the list of co-sponsors.

But taking someone off a bill requires the unanimous consent of the House, and that step was agreed to quickly Thursday night.

It was not immediately clear why the Intel Committee chairman is not co-sponsoring the bill; many Republicans have called for various investigations into the September attacks. But one House aide said his non-sponsorship could simply reflect the uncertainty in the House about exactly how to pursue the investigation.

The attack in Libya has been a particular focus of Republicans, because it led to the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other U.S. officials. Earlier in the week, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he would oppose the nomination of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice because of her attempt to blame the Libya attack on an anti-Muhammed video.

Republicans have said evidence was available at the time indicating that it was a planned terrorist attack, and said the Obama administration ignored warnings of stepped-up violence.

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