WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel’s (D-IL) delivered the following one-minute speech today in the House of Representatives.

"Mr. Speaker, finally, today the State Department will release the complete and authoritative “Patterns of Global Terrorism” report – a correction requested by the gentleman from California, Mr. Waxman.

The original report issued by Secretary Powell claimed terrorist incidents last year hit their lowest level in 34 years, but in fact attacks were at a 20-year high.  Funny thing happened on the way to the printer. 

Unfortunately, this is not the first, second, or third instance – for that matter – of a Bush Cabinet Secretary having to re-write a report from their own Department.  Time and again, Bush Cabinet secretaries have been forced to abandon their own reports after public scrutiny. 

Whether it’s the State Department terrorism report, inaccurate reports published by HHS on racial disparities in health care, misleading estimates of the Medicare prescription drug bill, or the EPA’s proposed mercury emissions rules – each have one thing in common:  The first draft reflects the Administration’s ideology and political objectives and the re-write reflects the facts.

The final draft reflects the facts as they are and the consequences of their political decisions that the first refused to acknowledge. 

It appears that a pattern exists of gross incompetence or gross political manipulation, and neither is worthy of a Cabinet Secretary.

Mr. Speaker, today, we welcome Secretary Powell coming clean on the war on terrorism."