NY Times: In his opening statement, Issa said the purpose of the hearing was “to identify things that clearly went wrong and what the benefit of hindsight will be.” But the committee’s ranking Democrat, Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, challenged that assertion. In his statement, he called on the House to restore what he said was “hundreds of millions of dollars” it has cut from embassy security financing in recent years.
Media Matters added to Cummings outrage over funding cuts, with this incredible admission from Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who made it seem like funding pretty much stayed the same, a red herring I think he called it. Soledad O'Brien couldn't believe what she was hearing. Chaffetz has a big problem prioritizing:
The conservative media talking point that the White House abdicated its responsibility to secure the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, took a hit Wednesday when CNN's Soledad O'Brien pressed Congressman Jason Chaffetz to acknowledge that he joined House Republicans in voting to cut funding for embassy security. O'Brien pointed out the fundamental hypocrisy in this argument by noting that Chaffetz, like other Republicans in the House, voted to cut funding for embassy security. O'Brien asked: "Is it true that you voted to cut the funding for embassy security?" Chaffetz responded: "Absolutely. Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country."
What Chaffetz leaves out is that during the last two budget cycles, the House cut $500 million for embassy security requested by Obama. Whether the 2012 cuts were made or not, the intention to slash funding cannot be explained away or minimized.
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