Washington, D.C. – Senator Johnson  made the following comments on the anniversary of the Benghazi hearings and the infamous question posed by Secretary Clinton: “What difference at this point does it make?”

“The bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report on Benghazi concludes that the State Department was derelict in its duties and failed to provide proper security for the mission in Libya.  Unfortunately, it leaves many questions unanswered.  We know this tragedy could have been prevented, but we still don't understand why decisions were made that ensured it wasn't.  We also do not know the extent of President Obama's involvement, or who made the key decisions.  Instead of honoring its commitment to transparency, the Obama Administration has purposefully misled, stalled, and failed to fully cooperate with congressional efforts to provide the American people the truth.

“What we do know is this:  The post in Benghazi lacked adequate security in an increasingly dangerous region.  The State Department refused repeated requests for increased security.  As a result, four great Americans died.  The post was attacked by terrorists mostly likely with ties to al-Qaida, and top ranking officials knew it from the start. The administration fed Americans — including family members of the victims — a politically motivated fiction about a protest that got out of hand. The Obama administration continues to block efforts at answering important questions.  No one has been fired or properly held accountable for the conscious decisions to deny proper security.  No terrorists involved have been brought to justice. 

“On a central question — who killed our personnel and why? — Secretary Clinton angrily claimed that it made no difference. The report tells us that the State Department led by Secretary Clinton was negligent in its duty to protect the Americans it employed. President Obama claims this is a phony scandal. He is wrong. This is a scandal, and the American people deserve to know the truth.”

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