WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Bill Delahunt announced today that the House International Relations Committee will hold its first hearing on Iraq since mid-May of 2004.  Committee Democrats have repeatedly demanded that the Republican-led panel end its abdication of its oversight responsibilities toward one of the most critical foreign policy issues confronting the United States, but such efforts have been rebuffed at every turn – until now.

"For too long, President Bush’s allies in Congress have refused to hold his Administration accountable for its policy in Iraq," said Delahunt.  "I should know; as the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee on Oversight and investigations, I have fought relentlessly for our panel to fulfill its constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch.  While I am pleased at this hearing’s announcement, I would note that only two lower-level Administration witnesses will be testifying.  That’s not good enough; we need consistent, high-level review of all aspects of the Administration’s policy toward Iraq, including its manipulation of intelligence, intimidation of critics, incompetence, and enabling of massive corruption."

Delahunt has sent multiple letters to the Republican Chairman of the International Relations Committee, Henry Hyde of Illinois, requesting oversight of the Administration’s Iraq policy, and he and other Democrats have consistently raised these issues in hearings and on the House floor, but the response has been silence.  Frustrated, on April 4, every Democrat on the panel joined Delahunt in sending a letter to Chairman Hyde demanding hearings. Chairman Hyde subsequently scheduled one on April 26 entitled "Iraq: Update on US Policy" – the first since May 13, 2004.

Difficulty Getting Around White House Control of Congressional Agenda

Delahunt, who opposed the Iraq war as a distraction from the fight against al Qaeda (those who actually attacked the US on 9/11) has repeatedly challenged the Administration in hearings and on the House floor with his weekly “Iraq Watch” discussions, and co-founded the "Out of Iraq Caucus".

Nevertheless, the Congressman said, the cards are stacked against those who want a change in Iraq policy.  Under the rules of the House of Representatives, he explained, the majority party (currently the GOP) has virtually complete control over the agenda.  "They decide what legislation will be considered; they choose what topics we hold hearings on; they alone can issue subpoenas and initiate investigations; they even control how much time Members are allowed to speak.  So President Bush’s loyalists in the Congressional leadership have smothered attempts – including by some brave Republicans – to look into the Administration’s incompetence, secrecy, prisoner abuse, and the mind-boggling corruption involved in the so-called "reconstruction" of Iraq."

Delahunt noted that, as a result, the multiple resolutions that have been introduced to try to end the war face almost no chance of being considered.  "My colleagues have put forth bills that range from calling for a phased withdrawal to cutting off funding for the troops to reviewing whether the President and Vice President should be impeached.  But they will never see the light of day as long as the Congressional leadership decides there will be no debate."

Delahunt Drives Effort to Force Debate on House Floor

Undaunted, Delahunt has sought to circumvent the Congressional leadership’s control of the floor schedule.  With other colleagues in the Out of Iraq Caucus, he initiated the introduction of a “discharge petition,” a parliamentary tool which, if signed by 218 Representatives, would force a bill’s consideration on the House floor despite the leadership’s opposition.  The resolution it seeks to discharge – the bipartisan H J Res 55 – would require the President to present a plan for removal of US forces from Iraq, and would mandate that such a withdrawal begin by October of this year.

"Currently, we only have 95 signatures on the discharge petition," said Delahunt.  "But if all the energy and outrage about the Iraq war are channeled into this effort, and people urge their friends and relatives to push their Representative to sign, I have no doubt that we will get the necessary signatures in very short order.  Then we can have the open, substantive, and realistic debate that the American people demand and deserve.  And we can begin to turn around this disastrous policy."

Note: copies of the letter to Chairman Hyde are available on request.
  

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