By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R from Montgomery) appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson,” on Wednesday, September 17 to discuss the first day of hearings on the Benghazi attack which left four Americans dead in 2012 including the American Ambassador to Libya.
Rep. Roby said that the hearing reinforced the need for the Select Committee to investigate the terrorist attack in a security compound in Benghazi, Libya. Roby also said that the State Department’s refusal to implement a key post-Benghazi recommendation that a top official be designated as responsible for diplomatic security leaves lingering accountability questions at the department. Rep. Roby said, “The State Department rejected the top recommendation made by the independent panel that was established as a result of the ABR: to have someone at the top in the State Department who is directly responsible for diplomatic security. They rejected that. So if there’s no one there who’s responsible, then we can’t ultimately hold anyone accountable for failures in the future.”
Rep. Roby wrote in an email to constituents, “This summer, Speaker of the House John Boehner asked me to serve on the House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. This is a significant and solemn responsibility that I am taking very seriously. I am committed to working with Chairman Trey Gowdy and my colleagues on the Select Committee to conduct a thorough, judicious, and unbiased pursuit of the facts.”
Congresswoman Roby said that Wednesday’s Select Committee public hearing will surround the implementation of the Accountability Review Board’s recommendations. Rep, Roby wrote, “Through this hearing, and any subsequent hearings, I will continue to pursue any and all serious leads. I was proud to lead the inquiry into the military activities surrounding these attacks in my prior role as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, and I look forward to continuing this work with the Select Committee.”
For Months following the attack on the American Consulate Congresswoman Roby led the investigation into the attack as part of her job as Chair of the House Armed Forces Subcommittee assigned to investigations, an investigation that was largely ignored by the liberal main stream media. On Friday, May 9 U.S. Representative Roby was assigned to return to that investigation.
Rep. Roby said that serving on the House Select Committee on Benghazi was a solemn and significant responsibility. “The Benghazi attack was a terrible tragedy, and we still mourn the four Americans that were brutally murdered that day. However, the Administration’s explanation for exactly what happened that day and why has been far from clear, both in the immediate aftermath and months later.”
In the first day of hearings there was no discussion of talking points or stand-down orders. The hearing focused on how well the State Department has been implementing recommendations to prevent future attacks on U.S. diplomats like the one in Libya two years ago that killed four Americans.
Rep. Roby said in an earlier statement, “It is the duty of Congress to seek answers on the activities of the government on behalf of the American people. Lingering questions about the Benghazi attack and continued White House obstruction compel us to form this Select Committee and continue the search for truth. Benghazi is a familiar subject for me. During my time as chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I led the inquiry into military activities surrounding the attack. Our jurisdiction was limited to the Department of Defense, but there are many more layers to the Benghazi story, including our intelligence community, the State Department, and, of course, the White House. A select committee with broader jurisdiction will better connect these dots and provide a clearer picture.”
The Conservative Congresswoman said, “I am committed to working with Chairman Gowdy and my colleagues on the Select Committee to conduct a thorough, judicious, and unbiased pursuit of facts. As can be the case in Washington, tension over the Benghazi attacks has at times become a political issue on both sides. As Chairman Gowdy said, politics will have no place in this process. Facts aren’t Republican or Democratic. Facts are stubbornly impartial, and I’m committed to pursuing the facts wherever they may lead.”
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R) from South Carolina has been assigned to Chair the investigation.
Representative Martha Roby is seeking a third term in the U.S. Congress.
