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.
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 | 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 |
Please call your representatives. Please keep calling them. Keep the pressure on.
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