As of this writing, there are 161 co-sponsors (all Republicans) of Rep. Frank Wolf’s HR-36. This resolution would require the formation of a Select Committee to investigate what happened in Benghazi on 9/11/12. Of course, with 234 Republican congressmen in the House, this leaves 73 Representatives who have not endorsed Wolf’s Resolution; their names and telephone numbers are listed below.
At first blush, it would seem that the Republican establishment has dug in its heels and is refusing to honor the spirit of the ‘Hastert Rule’, which states that no bill will come to the floor without the majority of the majority party being behind it. HR-36 is a Resolution that has nearly 70% of House Republican support. The names of all three members of House leadership – Speaker John Boehner, Majority leader Eric Cantor, and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy – are all absent from Wolf’s resolution. So is establishment wannabe, Paul Ryan.
Conservatives vs. establishment, right?
Well…..
You’ll note that names like Jason Chaffetz (UT), Patrick McHenry (NC), James Lankford (OK), Darrell Issa (CA), and other bulldog conservatives in the Benghazi investigation are on the list of congressmen who have not endorsed HR-36 too. Why?
Let’s consider Wolf’s proposal. Remember what the makeup of a Select Committee would be under HR-36:
…in December 2012, I introduced a bill to create a House Select Committee on the Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, which would have full subpoena power to fully investigate what happened in Benghazi and the Obama Administration’s response. The committee would be comprised of the chairmen and ranking members of the committees on Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Judiciary, Homeland Security and Government Reform and Oversight, with other members appointed by House leaders based on expertise.
What this means is that the only two members from the House Oversight Committee who would be guaranteed positions on the Select Committee would be Issa and Ranking Member / liar / registered socialist Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Chaffetz and McHenry sit on that committee and would be odd men out if they didn’t make the cut. Issa – and other chairmen – may not be signing on to the amendment because they want their best members involved. There is definitely something to be said for this.
For example, Chaffetz has been extremely close to the Benghazi investigation. He went to Tripoli in the weeks after the attack. He has been among the best of the best in demanding answers. There would be something wrong if he wasn’t on the committee while someone like registered socialist John Conyers was on it (as the ranking member of the House Judiciary, Conyers would be on the Select Committee).
We would suggest that Wolf might get more congressmen to jump on board if chairmen of committees that would be included had greater latitude in determining which of their members would be allowed to serve on the committee as well. Consider that, under Wolf’s Resolution, there are only seven positions on the Select Committee who are not already predetermined based on Chairman / Ranking member status, five of whom could be Republicans and two would likely be Pelosi’s Democrats of choice.
Boehner: Scared of Conservatives on Select Committee
Assuming there’s no law restricting the size of a Select Committee, perhaps Wolf could make the tent bigger and get folks like Chaffetz, McHenry, Lankford, and Issa to join him if Committee chairmen are authorized to have a greater say in selecting additional members.
Check out some of the text from HR-36, via Congress.gov:
(a) The select committee shall be composed of…
(7) Five members appointed by the Speaker.
(8) Two members appointed by the Speaker after consultation
with the minority leader.
If the chair or ranking member of any such committee declines to serve
on the select committee, then the Speaker in the case of a chair, or
the Speaker after consultation with the minority leader in the case of
a ranking member, shall designate the member or members from that
committee to serve on the select committee.
(b) The Speaker shall designate one member as chairman and the
minority leader shall designate one member as the ranking minority
member of the select committee.
While it’s true that any Select Committee that’s formed may exclude the best conservative firebrands, it will also do what these firebrands have not been able to do to this point – put the scandal on the national media stage. A Select Committee would almost necessarily cause mainstream media coverage, which has been so egregiously lacking, despite extremely compelling hearings in the House committees.
It is for these reasons that we believe a House Select Committee – despite its downsides – is the best course of action. As such, we encourage you to contact the congressmen below and urge them to support Wolf’s resolution.
Congressman DISTRICT TEL NUMBER
SPENCER BACHUS AL-06 202 225 4921
JOHN BOEHNER OH-08 202 225 6205
LARRY BUCSHON IN-08 202 225 4636
DAVE CAMP MI-04 202 225 3561
ERIC CANTOR VA-07 202 225 2815
JASON CHAFFETZ UT-03 202 225 7751
HOWARD COBLE NC-06 202 225 3065
CHRIS COLLINS NY-27 202 225 5265
MICHAEL CONAWAY TX-11 202 225 3605
PAUL COOK CA-08 202 225 5861
RODNEY DAVIS IL-13 202 225 2371
JEFF DENHAM CA-10 202 225 4540
CHARLIE DENT PA-15 202 225 2371
MARIO DIAZ-BALART FL-25 202 225 6831
JOHN DUNCAN TN-02 202 225 5435
RENEE ELLMERS NC-02 202 225 4531
VIRGINIA FOXX NC-05 202 225 2071
BOB GOODLATTE VA-06 202 225 5431
KAY GRANGER TX-12 202 225 5071
RICHARD HANNA NY-22 202 225 3665
GREG HARPER MS-03 202 225 5031
VICKY HARTZLER MO-04 202 225 2876
DOC HASTINGS WA-04 202 225 5816
JOE HECK NV-03 202 225 3252
JEB HENSARLING TX-05 202 225 3484
JAIME HARRERA BEUTLER WA-03 202 225 3536
GEORGE HOLDING NC-13 202 225 3032
RICHARD HUDSON NC-03 202 225 3715
BILL HUIZENGA MI-02 202 225 4401
DARRELL ISSA CA-49 202 225 3906
LYNN JENKINS KS-02 202 225 6601
MIKE KELLY PA-03 202 225 5406
JOHN KLINE MN-02 202 225 2271
JAMES LANKFORD OK-05 202 225 2132
FRANK LOBIONDO NJ-02 202 225 6572
BILLY LONG MO-07 202 225 6536
CYNTHIA LUMMIS WY 202 225 2311
KEVIN MCCARTHY CA-23 202 225 2915
PATRICK MCHENRY NC-10 202 225 2576
BUCK MCKEON CA-25 202 225 1956
CATHY MCMORRIS RODGERS WA-05 202 225 2006
CANDICE MILLER MI-10 202 225 2106
GARY MILLER CA-31 202 225 6536
JEFF MILLER FL-01 202-225 4136
DEVIN NUNES CA-22 202-225 2523
ERIK PAULSEN MN-03 202-225 2871
SCOTT PERRY PA-04 202-225 5836
TED POE TX-02 202-225 6565
MIKE POMPEO KS-04 202-225-6216
TREY RADEL FL-19 202-225 2536
TOM REED NY-23 202 225 3161
HAL ROGERS KY-05 202-225 4601
MIKE ROGERS AL-03 202 225 3261
MIKE ROGERS MI-08 202 225 4872
PETER ROSKAM IL-06 202-225-4561
ED ROYCE CA-39 202 225 4111
JON RUNYAN NJ-03 202 225 4765
PAUL RYAN WI-01 202 225 3031
MARK SANFORD SC-01 202 225 3176
AUSTIN SCOTT GA-08 202 225 6531
PETE SESSIONS TX-32 202 225 2231
MIKE SIMPSON ID-02 202 225 5531
ADRIAN SMITH NE 03 202 225 6435
LEE TERRY NE-02 202 225 4155
MICHAEL TURNER OH-10 202 225 6465
FRED UPTON MI-06 202 225 3761
DAVID VALADAO CA-21 202 225 4695
GREG WALDEN OR-02 202 225 6730
DANIELWEBSTER FL-10 202 225 2176
LYNN WESTMORELAND GA-03 202 225 5901
ROB WOODALL GA-07 202 225 4272
TODD YOUNG IN-09 202 225 5315