Lankford, Mullin support Benghazi investigation

Both Representatives Markwayne Mullin and James Lankford from Oklahoma have issued statements of support for the establishment of the Select Committee on Benghazi after the House of Representatives approved H. Res. 567.

“For the second time this week, we find ourselves asking for accountability from this Administration. Four Americans were lost on that tragic day in Benghazi nearly two years ago. Yet after these many months, we still don’t know what really happened," Mullin said.

Lankford said, “Establishing a Select Committee on Benghazi is not a political issue; it is proper congressional oversight in the wake of the attack and the Administration’s stonewalling of our current investigation.”

Rep. Markwayne Mullin

“The cloud of secrecy exhibited by the White House is unsettling to say the least. We have a President who has resorted to deception and cover-ups that now must be rectified. By establishing this select committee, we are committing to the families who lost loved ones during the attack, and to the American people, that answers will be found," Mullin added.

Trey Gowdy (R-SC) has already been named Chairman of the Select Committee. Under the resolution he will be joined by six other Republican members and five Democrat members. The process of selecting those members is ongoing.

Lankford said, “I have diligently participated in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation of the attack on our outpost in Benghazi, Libya since the very first hearing in October 2012. The House has held numerous hearings, subpoenaed countless witnesses and conducted rigorous investigations into the Administration’s failure to handle the situation in Benghazi. The subsequent public relations debacle surrounding talking points, video tapes and Ambassador Rice’s appearance on the Sunday shows wasted time and yielded increased skepticism for many Americans. We still have questions without answers and an unwilling partner in this Administration to get to the full truth.

Rep. James Lankford, Oklahoma

“We should agree that we owe all Americans serving overseas the peace of mind that we have done everything we can to ensure the leadership and management failures within our government will never happen again. House Republicans welcome our Democrat colleagues’ input in a productive investigation," Lankford said.

“The Select Committee will consolidate the information we have collected in the regular committee process and assess the answers still owed to the American people. We still do not have all the facts about why the facilities in Libya didn’t meet the minimum standard for security set after the 1998 attacks on our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania by Osama Bin Laden. We must have as much information as possible, so we can rework our protocols in leadership, emergency military readiness and accurate information release to the American people to ensure this never happens again. I look forward to the Select Committee’s work on behalf of the American people,” concluded Lankford.

The video clip of Rep. Lankford’s conversation with Fox News host Gretchen Carlson on the Select Committee this week follows.