Congressman: Hillary Clinton willing to testify before Benghazi panel

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she's willing to testify before a House Select Committee investigating the September 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, a key Democratic congressman confirms to CBS News.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, told reporters on Tuesday that he's spoken with Clinton about testifying before the panel, and she "did not hesitate for one second."

"She said...I'll do it, period," said Cummings, the committee's top Democrat, according to The Hill newspaper. "The fact is that she was very clear."

Cummings spoke with Clinton about testifying at the behest of the panel's chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, after the panel's first hearing last September. Clinton, a Democratic aide tells CBS News, "responded that she was willing and able to testify in a public hearing--as early as December 2014--to answer any remaining questions." Gowdy ultimately opted to delay Clinton's testimony, saying he wanted to obtain additional documents first.

The attack on an American facility in Benghazi claimed four lives, including then-U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens. Clinton, then the U.S. secretary of state, has been criticized by Republicans for neglecting to secure America's diplomatic facilities in Libya, which has been riven by warfare since the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi.

Gowdy has said he wants Clinton to appear before his panel to answer questions about the incident, which touched off a political firestorm right before the 2012 election and continues to churn the news cycle as Clinton prepares for a likely 2016 presidential bid. Earlier this month, he indicated he's willing to subpoena her to force her to testify.

If Clinton appears before the select committee, it will mark the third time she's faced a congressional interrogation over the Benghazi attacks. In 2013 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Clinton said she felt "responsible" for the loss of life, and she pledged to take steps to improve the security of American diplomats abroad. But she also demonstrated she wouldn't allow GOP attacks over the issue to go unanswered.

When Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, criticized the administration for initially suggesting the attacks were the result of a protest turned violent - rather than a premeditated terrorist attack - Clinton heatedly fired back.

"With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans," she said, gesturing emphatically as her voice rose. "Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they'd they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again."

CBS News' Alicia Amling contributed to this report.