Republicans Clamor to Serve on Benghazi Panel, Democrats Not so Much

Among Republicans, the competition to be named to the House Select Committee on Benghazi was intense. Among Democrats, it is nonexistent.

In the week since House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said the House would set up a special select committee to probe the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that killed four U.S. citizens in Benghazi, Libya, dozens of Republicans expressed interest in six remaining GOP seats on the 12-member panel. Mr. Boehner has already tapped Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) as chairman, taking the seventh GOP position.

On Friday Mr. Boehner said the other Republican members of the panel would be Reps. Susan Brooks of Indiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mike Pompeo of Kansas, Martha Roby of Alabama, Peter Roskam of Illinois and Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia.

Democratic leaders have not yet named their members and there appears to be little appetite for the five seats they are allotted.

This is not one of those plum positions that people fight for, said Rep. Raul Grijalva (D., Ariz.)

This is not one where youre going to build name credibility in the long term, so those that are on it have to be really strong, he said Friday.

Even some of the tiny group of Democrats who voted Thursday night with Republicans to form the panel said they werent hoping to serve on it.

Not my area of expertise, said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D., Ariz.), one of seven Democrats to support creating the committee. Im on the Financial Services Committeegood place for me.

On Thursday, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.) suggested in a letter to colleagues naming just a single member to participate, a move designed to allow Democrats to participate while still making clear they think the panel is a just a partisan exercise.

Among Republicans, being named to the Benghazi committee has more allure.

Read the original:
Republicans Clamor to Serve on Benghazi Panel, Democrats Not so Much

Related Posts

Comments are closed.