Congress needs to do its job.
They expect us to lead, to learn the right lessons, to rise above partisanship, and to reach for statesmanship.
It would compound the tragedy of Benghazi if Chris Stevens' death and the deaths of the other three Americans ended up undermining the work.
Our nation has a long history of bipartisan cooperation on foreign policy and national security.
We should debate on the basis of fact, not fear.
America must lead in a dangerous world, and our diplomats must continue representing us in dangerous places.
We need leadership at home to match our leadership abroad, leadership that puts national security ahead of politics and ideology.
We have learned the hard way, when America is absent, especially from unstable places, there are consequences.
We will never prevent every act of terrorism or achieve perfect security and that we inevitably must accept a level of risk.
I do want to defend them.
I turned over every work-related email in my possession.