As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, I attended multiple hearings last week on Iraq. Earlier in the week, we heard testimony from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, and then we heard Ambassador Satterfield discuss the long-term relationship between the United States and Iraq. The Senate Armed Services Committee also held a hearing with a focus on the progress made by the Government of Iraq, with testimony from Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen. There were no surprises.

The key issue before us, in terms of the next few months, is making sure the Bush Administration consults with Congress and negotiates this new relationship with Iraq. This was the focus of my questions during the hearing with Secretary Gates. It is vital that this Administration works with Congress rather then making decisions solely as an executive agreement.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized .