Chairman Becerra: Republicans Could Have Saved Taxpayers $7 Million, Two Years of Secrecy

Statement

Today, Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) released a statement following the release of Select Committee Benghazi report.

"The partisan report issued today by House Republicans on the sham Select Committee on Benghazi confirmed what we expected: after being tasked to examine the events that led to the tragic deaths of four brave Americans in Libya, the Committee instead conducted a costly, one-sided witch hunt obsessed with one target, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Numerous previous investigations, most of them directed by Republicans, had already debunked the fanatical conspiracy theories. It took another $7 million in taxpayer funds for this bogus investigation to tell us the same thing.

"House Republicans could have saved taxpayers those $7 million and two years of secrecy simply by examining the comprehensive report on Benghazi issued by the independent, bipartisan Accountability Review Board on December 19, 2012. That panel thoroughly reviewed the facts and circumstances surrounding the attack on our embassy in Benghazi and issued detailed recommendations in response. It was then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who called for and convened the independent investigative body. Unlike the partisan House Republican panel, Secretary Clinton neither directed nor drove the work product of the Accountability Review Board.

"It's time for Congress to break out of this "gotcha" mindset and do the work that matters to Americans, like passing sensible gun safety and anti-terrorist measures and boosting jobs and paychecks. Congress' culture of dysfunction only serves our enemies and special interests."

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