Hatch to Reid: Call for select committee on Benghazi

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to follow the House’s lead and form a select committee to investigate the Obama administration’s response to a terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.

“My friends on the other side ought to stop trying to protect the administration when these are serious charges,” Hatch said on the Senate floor Thursday. “I urge the Majority Leader to join the House in forming a joint select committee to investigate the Benghazi attack and its aftermath.”

{mosads}On Thursday, the House was set to vote on forming a select committee to investigation the death of four Americans at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012.

Originally the administration said the attack occurred when protesters stormed the consulate, but then backtracked and admitted it was a terrorist attack ahead of President Obama’s reelection.

Democrats have panned the select committee as a politically motivated move by Republicans ahead of the November election. 

Republicans recently renewed their calls for investigation after White House emails were released that showed the administration’s press staff advising officials to say the attack was caused by protesters instead of a terrorist attack.

Hatch said the administration’s resistance to congressional oversight and investigations proved Obama thinks he’s above the law.

“This is an administration that seems to think it can just get away with anything,” Hatch said. “There are many important questions about Benghazi that Americans deserve the answers to. … There were four deaths here of heroes.”