WASHINGTON – South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham doubled-down on his threat to block all of Obama’s nominees for executive branch positions until Congress is given to those on the ground during the Benghazi terrorist attacks in September 11, 2012.
“I shouldn’t have to do this – to make these threats,” he told Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”
Graham says the Obama administration has actively blocked access to the survivors of the Benghazi attack, and enough is enough. As far as accusations that he is going to far, Graham gave his answer plainly.
“I don’t think it’s over the top to find out what happened to four dead Americans,” he said. “I don’t think it’s over the top to talk to survivors. The State Department interviewed these survivors.”
In addition to Ambassador Chris Stevens, Foreign Service officer Sean Smith and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed in the attack.
Graham has been asking for the FBI’s transcripts of interviews with State Department and CIA survivors who were evacuated to Germany after the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate, but has been unsuccessful.
In an Oct. 28 letter Graham, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Julia Frifield, referred to “significant risks” and “serious concerns about having the survivors of the attack submit to additional interviews.”
Graham and other Republicans believe the transcripts will show the survivors told the FBI it was a terrorist attack and made no mention of a video or anti-U.S. demonstration at the consulate.
“So I’m going to block every appointment in the United States Senate until the survivors are being made available to Congress,” he said.
Graham also called on fellow lawmakers in Washington for help.
“The only way this will work is if my GOP colleagues get behind me and Democrats too and support my request to find out exactly what happened,” he said.
