Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has proposed legislation that would give a reward of up to $5 million for information on the 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that killed four American officials.
Cruz’s bill, S. 1661, would authorize the secretary of State to offer rewards to people under the Rewards for Justice program. Cruz said that since that program’s launch in 1984, $125 million has been distributed to more than 80 people.
{mosads}Cruz criticized the Obama administration for not using this program to get information about the Benghazi attack. That attack happened nearly 14 months ago, and Republicans have criticized President Obama for not aggressively seeking out who was responsible and bringing them to justice.
“The State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program exists to help the U.S. identify and apprehend its enemies, but the Obama administration has not used it to pursue the terrorists who attacked our personnel in Benghazi,” Cruz said.
“U.S. investigators should have all available tools at their disposal to bring to justice those who murdered four Americans in Benghazi, including the first Ambassador killed in service since 1979,” he added. Ambassador Chris Stevens was one of the four officials killed.
Earlier this week, State said it would offer $5 million for information on Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord who has disappeared after being released from a Mexican prison. Cruz noted that State offered this reward without legislation from Congress.
Republicans continue to push for more serious efforts on the part of the administration to bring the Benghazi attackers to justice. But some are also pushing Congress to do more.
On Thursday, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) again pushed House GOP leaders to approve his resolution establishing a House Select Committee on Benghazi, which has 178 co-sponsors.
“We need to get to the bottom of what happened in Benghazi,” Wolf said. “Four Americans were killed. No one has been held accountable for the intelligence failures leading up to the attack. No one has said what the CIA was doing in Benghazi.
“None of the terrorists have been brought to justice.”