Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) filed a resolution Wednesday calling for a Select Committee to investigate the administration’s response to a terrorist attack in Libya.
On Sept. 11, 2012, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked and four Americans were killed, including U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.
“Four brave Americans died,” McCain said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “It has now been eight weeks — the American people have received nothing but contradictory statements from our government. … The American people deserve the facts — they need to know why the security at the consulate was so inadequate.
“What did the president know, when did he know it and what did he do?”
Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for it's initial response to the attack and have asked why security at the consulate wasn't better. McCain said the only credible way to get answers to his questions was a bipartisan Select Committee.
“The only credible way of getting those answers is a Select Committee,” McCain said. “We believe whoever it is must be held responsible, especially the president, who is the commander is chief, who in my view has not exercised those duties.”
McCain said he believed the Benghazi situation was either proof of “incompetence” or “a cover up, neither of which is acceptable.”
McCain introduced the resolution on behalf of himself and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.).
Graham said because officials in the CIA, State Department and Department of Defense all have questions to answer, it would be easier to get answers from a Select Committee lead by Democrats rather than a “stove pipe” approach with multiple committees seeking answers.
“A Select Committee is essential to get to the truth,” Graham said. “It would help us all to go to the public and say we did this together … so we can get Benghazi behind us … until we do that we will have failed the American people … pieces of the puzzle will never be put together.”
McCain criticized President Obama for a remark he delivered earlier in the day at a news conference. McCain said Obama accused him of “picking on” U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, who originally said the attack in Libya was a spontaneous attack.
McCain said he wasn’t picking on anyone and demanded that the president take the situation more seriously.
