Roby appointed to Select Committee to investigate Benghazi terrorist attack

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Martha Roby, R-AL02, announced Friday that she will undertake the “significant and solemn responsibility” of serving on a special House committee created to investigate the full scope of the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

On Thursday, the House passed legislation establishing the House Select Committee. House Speaker John Boehner, R-OH, subsequently appointed Rep. Roby to be one of 12 House Members to serve on the panel.

Roby released the following statement regarding her appointment:

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.

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.

Speaker Boehner has asked me to serve on the Select Committee, a significant and solemn responsibility which I accepted. 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.

During her time as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Roby led the investigation into military activities surrounding the attack. Among the findings in the Subcommittee’s interim report was the breakdown in communication between military, intelligence and diplomatic officials, and a failure by the White House to facilitate such communication.

Rep. Roby’s Oversight and Investigations panel was specifically focused on the Department of Defense. Given the numerous questions that remain unanswered, the Roby said she believes the subject warrants inspection beyond the limited scope of the House Armed Services Committee.

“Our jurisdiction in the Armed Services investigation was limited to the Department of Defense,” said Roby. “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.”

Also appointed to the Select Committee Representatives are Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-SC, Lynn Westmoreland, R-GA, Jim Jordan R-OH, Peter Roskam R-IL, Mike Pompeo R-KS, and Susan Brooks R-IN. Democratic Representatives on the Select Committee have not yet been named by Minority leadership.

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