U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to join Senators Ted Cruz (R-Tex) and John Cornyn (R-Tex) in calling for a joint select committee to investigate the terrorist attacks on the American consulate in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Audio and video of the speech can be found here.

Senator Roberts has cosponsored Senate Resolution 225, a resolution to express the sense of the Senate that Congress should establish a joint select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the United States diplomatic facility and American personnel in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012.

Roberts has been an outspoken critic of the Administration’s handling of the attack in Benghazi. Last year, Roberts, the most senior Marine in the Congress, wrote the President a letter urging him to set the record straight about his Administration’s failure to help Americans murdered in the terrorist attack in Benghazi on September 11, because it caused Americans serving in harm’s way, especially members of the armed forces, to question the sacred bond of never leaving a comrade in distress or danger. The full text of the Senator’s letter can be found here.

The following is text of Senator Roberts’ remarks as prepared:

“I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas. I applaud your efforts to keep a focus on the Benghazi terrorist attack.

“I come to you today not only as a Senator from the great state of Kansas, but also as a Marine. Not a former Marine. A Marine.

“We cannot allow this situation to linger any longer.

“It is a great shame that a year after the heinous terrorist attacks on our Consulate in Benghazi, murdering four Americans and shaking the confidence of our men and women deployed in service to this nation that the United States would never leave a man behind, it is a great shame that we are still in the same place.

“Justice has yet to be seen or done.

“The families of those killed at the Consulate in Benghazi are waiting for answers about what happened that night.

“They simply want to know that this president and this administration are working to seek justice for what happened.

“Yet, it appears this administration is doing everything but seek justice.

“I am sick and tired of hearing excuses, delays, and even silence.

“The president and his administration have stonewalled us on this case.

“Today, the FBI continues to seek tips from Libyans. They have even posted an entire page on their website dedicated to finding suspects. There are photos of 29 suspects on that page. Twenty-nine.

“Yet, no arrests have been made.

“CNN and The New York Times have even had access to one of the chief suspects, Ahmed Abu Khattala.

“Access to interview him while he mocks the U.S. investigation.

“Unbelievable.

“Why is this individual freely walking around when we know he had a hand in the attacks?

“The administration refuses to answer simple questions, questions such as:

“Who told the US military to stand down?

“Who is responsible for misleading the American public and the victim’s families?

“What actionable intelligence did our government have? Why was it ignored?

“This is why we need a Joint Select Committee.

“At the very least, this deserves a vote.

“So, I urge my colleagues blocking this legislation to drop their holds.

“It is time the families of the fallen and the American people are given the answers and justice they deserve.

“Senator Cruz, I thank you for introducing this legislation. I believe this should be a top priority for our government.

“It is time we get off the dime and do something important, and give this legislation the consideration it deserves.

“It is time we demand this administration give the families and all the American people the answers they deserve about what happened that night in Benghazi.”

Senator Roberts is the most senior Marine in the congress, is a former member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and is a former chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.