In an interview with Newsmax this week, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) lamented what he saw as a lack of progress on an investigation into the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, claiming that Washington politicians had "spent more time on Trayvon Martin" than on investigating foreign policy concerns stemming from the incident.
After making a number of allegations against Democrats and President Barack Obama, including that the administration was "stonewalling" and that certain lawmakers were trying to "trivialize" the so-called scandal, Stockman explained his frustration.
"We spent more time on Trayvon Martin than we did on foreign policy which could jeopardize other lives," he said. "It's a tragedy in this nation that we somehow lose focus on things and drop the ball. This is a really serious case and we see the administration, consulate and the Democrats in joining together in stopping the investigation."
Martin was the Florida teen killed in 2012 during an altercation with George Zimmerman, who last month was acquitted on all charges stemming from the incident. The high-profile case drew nationwide attention, and lawmakers, including Obama himself, have weighed in on its implications.
Stockman went on to note that the Benghazi attack left four Americans dead, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, charging that Democrats seemed disinterested in getting to the bottom of the issue.
Republicans have been pushing nearly nonstop for more urgent action on an investigation into Benghazi. During his interview with Newsmax, Stockman explained that he and other Republicans were working toward issuing a "discharge petition" to force House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to appoint a special prosecutor for the case. He urged listeners to get involved in the issue, or else risk having "Hillary [Clinton] and her cohorts" bury the whole thing.
Democrats, including Obama, have meanwhile maintained that the Republican fervor surrounding the episode is simply an attempt to delay progress on key policy issues and damage his administration.
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