I want to thank the panelists. I think it was an interesting discussion, and look forward to having many more today. Thank you very much. And were live on capitol hill this thursday morning as this wednesday morning as the House Select Committee on benghazi will hear testimony on the 2012 attack on the u. S. Consulate in benghazi, libya. Greg starr will appear before the committee again today. And in testimony last september for the same committee he encouraged law enforcements to give the state department extra funding to increase embassy security. Now, also testifying today we expect to hear from steve linick, the Inspector General at the state department. As this hearing gets under way and for the rest of the day were asking should more resources be put togethers Diplomatic Security. Go to facebook. Com or tweet us using the hash tag, cspan chat. This is live coverage on cspan 3. Again, we are awaiting the start of this House Select Committee on benghazi attack hearings to get under way. The committee expected to gavel in in a couple of moments. This a followup to the hearing, the first hearing that happened on september 17th. Investigating the implementation of the accountability review boards recommendations. The witnesses we expect to hear from today, greg starr who is the assistant secretary of state for Diplomatic Security and steve linick, Inspector General of the state department. We expect this hearing to get under way in a moment, live here on cspan 3. The senate gavelled in a couple of minutes ago. Lawmakers are working on 577 billion bill for defense programs next year, authorizing funding for the war on isis, which includes money to train Syrian Rebels and the afghan army and new provisions on Sexual Assault in the military. You can see live coverage of the senate on our companion network, cspan 2. Once again the House Select Committee on benghazi will hear on Diplomatic Security in the 2012 attack on the u. S. Consulate in benghazi, libya. This is a followup to the first hearing which happened last september. You just saw the chair of the Committee Walk in, congressman trey gowdy. So we expect this will get underway in a moment. And as the hearing commences, well be looking for your comments throughout the day, asking should more resources be put toward Diplomatic Security . Go to our Facebook Page at facebook. Com cspan or tweet us using the hash tag, cspan chat. Well, once again were live on capitol hill waiting for the start of this House Select Committee on benghazi. In the chair right there, congressman trey gowdy of south carolina. He appears to be waiting for some of the democrats to show up on this committee to get it under way. This committee is investigating the attack on the u. S. Embassy in benghazi, libya, that happened in 2012. Its the followup to a hearing held by the committee back in september on the 17th on the same issue. We expect it to start any moment now and also, again, looking for your comments should more resources be put toward Diplomatic Security . Leave your comments on the Facebook Page facebook. Com cspan. And on twitter cspan chat. Some of the other members are arriving so it looks like it could start any moment now. Elijah cummings. I want to welcome everyone. I want to apologize to our two witnesses and to everyone else whos been waiting. Just blame me for the delay. That would be the quickest and easiest thing to do. Ill do my best to start on time henceforth. This is hearing number two, reviewing efforts to secure u. S. Department diplomatic facilities and personnel. The committee will come to order. Chairman notes a quorum for taking testimony pursuant to the appropriate House Resolution number and house rule number, i want to recognize myself for the opening statement. In september of 2012, four of our fellow americans were killed and others were injured in an attack on our facility in benghazi, libya. Shawn smith, tyrone woods, Glenn Doherty and ambassador Chris Stevens died under circumstances most of us can not fathom. Fire, violence, the weaponry of war. I want to read something and i want to ask my colleagues to listen to what i read. Not just to the words but i want you to imagine having to live through or die through the experience. On september the 11th, 2012, at 9 45 p. M. , 20 or more armed menace sellabled outside the u. S. Embassy. Several alsharia members had been identified among the group. The initial attackers were armed with ak47 rifles, rocket propel grenade launchers. Buildings within the mission were set on fire. The fire set during the attack led to the deaths of ambassador Christopher Stevens and shawn smith and the remaining state personnel state Department Personnel escaped to the annex which came under attack which continued throughout the Early Morning hours of september 12, culminating in a mortar attack that killed tyrone woods and Glenn Doherty. What i just read is the now official position of the u. S. Government. Filed in u. S. District court by the department of justice in a motion to detain the one defendant who has been captured and will stand trial. 20 or more men, the weapons of war, arson, sustained attacks, precision mortars, terrorist groups, it is interesting to note the use of the word terrorist, so rarely used in the days and weeks after benghazi by people in positions of power is now the very word used in the very statute charging the very defendant accused of killing our four fellow americans. Conspiracy to provide Material Support and resources to terrorists resulting in death. Thats the charge. That is the official charge, the official position of the United States government. But in the days after the attack in benghazi, the word terrorist was edited out and changed. Now the administration uses the word attack. In the days after the attack of benghazi, the administration edited out and changed the word attack. Its one thing to have it wrong initially and eventually get it right. Its another thing to have it right initially and then edit it and change it so that it is wrong. I remain keenly aware that there are those on both sides of the aisle who have concluded that all questions have been answered. Theres nothing left to do. No more witnesses to talk to. No more documents to review. It is worth noting that some of those very same folks did not think that benghazi should have been looked at in the first place. But i disagree. I do not think we should move on until there is a complete understanding of how the security environment described by our own government in Court Documents was allowed to exist. I dont think we should move on until we understand why we were told special precautions had been taken prior to the anniversary of 9 11. What precautions were taken . Where . By whom . Why were we told that benghazi facility was secure . Why were we told it was a Strong Security presence in benghazi when we now know that was false . And it wasnt true at the time it was said. We should not move on until theres a complete understanding of why requests for additional security were denied. By whom they were denied, and why an ambassador trusted to represent us in a dangerous land wasnt trusted to know what security he needed to do his job. Its been two years. And we know the requests for additional equipment and personnel were denied but we dont have a full understanding of why they were not denied and we should not move on until theres a complete understanding. Of that and why the official position of our government is so different today. Than it was in the days and the weeks of benghazi. The facts hasnt changed but the way that our government characterizes benghazi has changed a lot. This hearing will continue our committees efforts to ensure the recommendations made after the attacks on benghazi were actually implemented and i will pledge again a process worthy of the memory of the four who were killed and worthy of the respect of our fellow citizens. But i also pledge that were going to keep asking questions until we have a complete understanding of what happened. To that end we will have hearings, in january, in february, in march and until and that means access to all the documents and that means access to all of the witnesses with knowledge. This committee will be the last best hope for answering the questions surrounding the attacks in benghazi. We may actually wind up answering some of the questions more than once. We may risk answering a question twice. That seems like a really small investment compared with what others have given and are currently giving. To our country. With that i would recognize the gentleman from maryland. Thank you, very much, for holding todays hearing as well as our previous hearing three months ago on this topic which was proposed by congressman. These two hearings demonstrate the continued commitment of both democrats and republicans to make our embassies safe. As i have often said, this is our watch. This is not about today or tomorrow. This is about generations yet unborn. And so we all take this assignment very seriously. Over the course of 18 months of exhaustive investigations, first by the independent accountability review board and then by seven congressional committees, weve learned many answers to questions about what happened in benghazi and what changes are needed to improve security at our diplomatic facilities overseas. But as we have also seen, when it comes to benghazi, too many people are unaware that questions have been answered or are unwilling to accept the answers they hear. Our benghazi on record asked and answered website centralizes in one place these answers. Since we met last, the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence publicly released its bipartisan, unanimously adopted report. As our Intelligence Committee colleagues explained and i quote, this report and the nearly two years of intensive investigation it reflects is meant to serve as the definitive house statement on the Intelligence Committees activities before, during and after tragic events that caused the deaths of four brave americans, end of quote. These bipartisan findings join the previous inclusions of the republicanled House Armed Services committee about the militarys readiness and responses on the night of the attacks. Our committees democratic members have urged the charge to review and accept these findings as we do not think that there is any reason for this committee to reinvestigate these facts. Repeat the work already completed by our republican and democratic colleagues, and squander millions of hard working dollars that come from hard working taxpayers. We appreciate that the chairman has decided to use this hearing to focus on constructive reform. And instead retreading the same ground that other committees have already investigated. Investigated in a way that perhaps one would investigate something if they were looking at it under a highpowered microscope. We urge him to keep his focus on the constructive efforts and not be lured off this path by partisan politics. Were bigger than that and we are better than that. And i appreciate you, mr. Chairman, for our discussions where you have agreed by the end of the year to give us a scope as to exactly what we will be looking at and hopefully we will be able to come to conclusions about what we do agree on, so that we can focus on the things that we still need to investigate. I also appreciate the fact that you have agreed to meet with me and the speaker tomorrow with regard to rules of the committee. I think you and i agree its nice to have structure because it helps us to deal with issues that may come up. And i do i do really appreciate that. Immediately after the benghazi attacks, the independent accountability review board conducted a blistering examination of what went wrong at the state department and identified 29 29 recommendations for reform. Secretary clinton accepted every single one of them. And Inspector General reported and i quote, the department wasted no time addressing the recommendations, end of quote. During our first hearing, three months ago, assistant secretary starr testified that the department had closed 22 of the arbs 29 recommendations. Since then, the department has continued making steady progress and im pleased to hear that. It has closed three more recommending as and continues to make progress on the remaining four. The department has now delivered fire Safety Equipment to all but one highthreat post. And it has affirmed compliance with fire safety and equipment requirements in safe havens and safe areas in overseas facilities. The department has now delivered fire Safety Equipment to all but one highthreat post. And it has affirmed compliance with fire Safety Equipment requirements and safe havens. The arb found that the lack of adequate Safety Equipment may have contributed to the tragic consequences that night. So im heartened to hear that the department has completed this recommendation since our last meeting. The department has also closed the recommendation for increasing Diplomatic Security staffing to address the staffing shortcomings identified by the arb. Starrs mr. Starrs testimony indicating that the new positions are fully funded, and that the department intends to complete all of the remaining new hires by early 2015. The Department Also has instituted mandatory threat training for highrisk posts and created a working group to develop joint Risk Management forces, further addressing shortcomings at the arb identified with regard to the training and expertise of the Department Personnel. I anxiously look forward to hearing more from mr. Starr on the work that remains to be done. We also are joined today by Inspector General linick. In a september 2013 report, his office made seven security related recommendations that overlapped to a large degree with the arbs recommendations. I was heartened to hear that six of these recommendations are now closed. Concerns remain, however, including lingering questions about whether the department has made sufficient changes to ensure that the Department Bureaus are communicating effectively and Decision Making authority is centralized and clear. Regarding the arb process, the Inspector Generals office examined the 12 arbs convene following the 1998 east Africa Embassy bombings through 2012 benghazi attacks. They concluded that the arb process and i quote operated as intended independently and without bias to identify vulnerabilities in the department of states Security Programs. This Inspector General nonetheless recommended adjustments to the process and its my understanding that the discussions on those recommendations are ongoing. As i close, one of these recommendations was for the department to amend the Foreign Affairs manual to institutionize responsibility for arb implementation. As the Inspector Generals report noted and i quote, handling of benghazi arb recommendations represented a significant departure from the previous norm in that secretary clinton took charge directly of oversight for the implementation process. The Inspector General found that the high level attention devoted to this this task and i quote, establishes a model for how the department should handle future arb recommendations. Im interested in hearing from mr. Starr as to whether the department has made the recommended change. And to that end, i yield back. I thank the gentleman from ma maryland. The first witness is honorable greg b. Starr from the department of state. The second witness will be the honorable steve linick, the Inspector General for the department of state. Welcome to both of you and again my apologies for you having to wait on me. You will be recognized for if five minute openings. Theres a lights and what they mean in life. With that, secretary starr. Thank you, chairman gowdy, Ranking Member cummings and distinguished committee members. Thank you for inviting me again to update you on the state departments progress in implementing the recommendations made by the independent benghazi accountability review board and ill refer to that in the future as the arb. I want to acknowledge steve linick. Inspector linick works closely with the Diplomatic Security on many issues some of which the committee has highlighted for discussion though. Although im focused primarily on the benghazi arb today i hope to provide some insights into how the Department Works to ultimately improve security around the world. The task of keeping u. S. Personnel overseas safe is dynamic and an everevolving process. We work constantly to improve our practices and protekt our people. The arb process is an important tool towards that goal and to y today,