Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) on Wednesday pushed a privileged resolution calling for the disbanding of the special panel investigating the Benghazi attacks.
The measure was tabled on a party line vote, 240 to 183.
The resolution included a host of grievances Democrats have against the Benghazi panel, and specifically called out Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for his recent comments that the committee hurt Hillary Clinton’s poll numbers.
The resolution read in part
- Whereas a widely-quoted statement made on September 29th, 2015 by Representative Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Leader of the House of Representatives, has called into question the integrity of the proceedings of the Select Committee and the House of Representatives as a whole;
- Whereas this statement by Representative McCarthy demonstrates that the Select Committee established by Republican leaders in the House of Representatives was created to influence public opinion of a presidential candidate;
The resolution is a procedural tactic that forced House Republicans to take a public vote on the floor to keep the Benghazi Committee operational.
After McCarthy’s comments, Democrats have renewed their objections that the panel is merely a political exercise intended to undermine Clinton's presidential bid.
