Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement today after his vote against a Republican resolution to form a committee to investigate the attacks in Benghazi, Libya in 2012 that killed four Americans.

To date, multiple panels have investigated the attacks. They have released 8 reports, interviewed dozens of witnesses, and reviewed more than 25,000 pages of documents.

“The loss of four American lives in Benghazi is a national tragedy that warrants a thorough investigation to make sure families and the public understand the facts of that sad day. Bipartisan investigations have found no evidence of cover-ups,” Larsen said. “As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have heard from senior military leadership and officers who were in Libya at the time of the attacks. The committee has reviewed thousands of pages of documents and uncovered no evidence of conspiracies.”

“Republicans persist in wasting time and money on duplicative and partisan efforts that mislead the public and undermine the credibility of ongoing investigations. The Republicans’ proposed committee would continue their irresponsible and biased approach to an investigation that deserves to be elevated above partisanship.

“My no vote on this partisan proposal is a vote in favor of fair, bipartisan oversight. Our focus should be on keeping American diplomatic personnel safe and making sure the public receives facts about the Benghazi tragedy. This panel distracts from that important bipartisan effort,” Larsen said.

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