Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) Yes, I "Absolutely" Cut Embassy Funding Thus GOP Let Benghazi Happen

    I know everyone already knows that in 2009, Darrell Issa, Jason Chaffetz, Paul Ryan and the other House Republicans voted to cut funding for Embassy Security from President Obama's Embassy Security Request ... ya know ... because the House GOP are against everything President Obama says or does because ... ??? who the hell knows why - they're haters?  

     Anyway, since Darrell Issa is doing his hearings on Benghazi today, I thought I'd post this Diary as a reminder that, due to the GOP Cuts in Embassy Funding, I conclude that the House GOP let Benghazi happen by cutting the Administration's request for additional funding on Embassy Security.

     In October 2012, Dana Milbank wrote:

House Republicans cut the Administration’s request for Embassy Security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and an additional cut of $331 million in fiscal 2012....

     Last year, [2009] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans’ proposed cuts to her department would be “detrimental to America’s national security”— a charge Republicans rejected.

     Ryan, Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic Security positions. Under Ryan’s budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to Embassy Security.

For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department’s Worldwide Security Protection program —well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration.

     And Ambassador Steven's family and families of the other victims of the Benghazi attack can thank Rep. Paul Ryan (R) for those cuts to Embassy Security.  Scott Lally wrote:

Those cuts are largely the result of the draconian and unrealistically low budget caps placed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) on all discretionary spending, falling particularly hard on the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee with responsibility for Embassy Security.

When will the House GOP hold hearings demanding the House GOP members explain why they voted to cut Embassy Security Funding that President Obama requested?