[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E247-E249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE IRAQ POLICY REVITILIZATION AND CONGRESSIONAL 
                       OVERSIGHT ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 2007

  Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 744, the 
Iraq Policy Revitalization and Congressional Oversight Enhancement Act. 
This bill is a modified version of H.R. 5630, the Iraq Congressional 
Oversight Enhancement Act, which I introduced on June 16, 2006, during 
the 109th Congress.
  H.R. 744 expresses strong, continued support for United States 
military and civilian personnel deployed to Iraq and serving world-wide 
in support of the mission in that country. We owe these individuals a 
debt of gratitude that is simply un-payable.
  Section two of H.R. 744 provides a select catalog of major events 
that have shaped Operation Iraqi Freedom. This section of the bill is 
not operative but is important to the context through which this bill 
should be reviewed.
  Section three of this bill provides a comprehensive set of policy 
statements that would express grave concerns with the fact that the 
Government of Iraq, at the present time, appears to be incapable or 
unwilling to govern in a unified manner in the interest of all Iraqis. 
That is, the bill would express Congress's concern that representatives 
of the various, prominent parties in Iraq use their government offices, 
public resources, ministry employment opportunities under their 
control, and certain units of Iraqi Security Forces, in addition to 
their political militias, vigilante, and criminal groups, to seek to 
achieve their party's individual, parochial, biased, and competing 
political, economic and security objectives, in order to bolster their 
party's political, economic, and military power in and influence 
throughout Iraq. This bill would express grave concern that the 
inability or unwillingness of the Government of Iraq to govern in 
moderate terms contributes to violence against United States 
servicemembers and Coalition forces, creates barriers to national 
reconciliation in Iraq, and impedes the expeditious completion of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom and the return of our servicemembers to their 
peacetime duty stations. Section three of the bill raises significant 
issues regarding the reliability of the Government of Iraq that should 
be reviewed and considered as Congress proceeds in its review of 
current United States policy toward Iraq.
  H.R. 744 also would enhance our ability to engage in more detailed, 
coordinated, and

[[Page E248]]

better informed oversight of activities with respect to Iraq. The 
provisions of section four of this bill would first consolidate 
existing, overlapping congressional reporting requirements. Section 
four of H.R. 744 would provide for a unique, comprehensive and focused 
analytical model around which future reporting to Congress by the 
Administration can be organized. That is, this bill would require from 
the President a single, regular, consolidated and comprehensive report 
that more exactly defines the political, economic, security, 
infrastructure, and governance capacity building benchmarks that are 
necessary and possible for United States military and civilian 
personnel to achieve at the various levels of government in Iraq in 
order to complete Operation Iraqi Freedom. The information contained in 
such a report also would include whether programs and projects that are 
essential to achieving those benchmarks are being executed; whether 
those programs and projects are successful toward achieving those ends; 
and whether gaps exist. The report pursuant to section four of H.R. 
744, moreover, would include a comprehensive intelligence assessment of 
Iraq. Furthermore, and notably, the report would include sections that 
provide the President the opportunity to justify why he did not adopt 
and implement any of the recommendations made by the Iraq Study Group.

  Section five of H.R. 744 would require that the President utilize--to 
the extent possible--the benchmarks he reports to Congress as a 
foundation for a multilateral agreement between the United States, 
Coalition countries, the Government of Iraq, regional countries, where 
appropriate, and relevant multilateral organizations to help stabilize 
Iraq. Countries in the region and the international community need to 
be more fully engaged and participating in the effort to stabilize 
Iraq. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and others among the 
international community should have a strong interest in a stable Iraq 
and we should welcome and encourage their further involvement in the 
process of stabilizing Iraq. Engaging Syria and Iran with regard to 
Iraq policy is a serious issue. It is an issue that requires vigorous 
and thorough debate. A wide range of opinions on the issue of 
engagement with Syria and Iran with regard to Iraq may exist. For this 
reason, an effort toward reaching consensus on this issue should be 
pursued. It is because of the lack of consensus on this issue that I 
have written into H.R.744 the conditioning phrase--``(where 
appropriate)''--in the provisions that would direct the President to 
engage regional countries.
  H.R. 744 would not set a timeline or deadline for the withdrawal of 
troops from Iraq. The bill also is silent on whether the President 
should increase the numbers of troops in Iraq or should initiate a 
phased withdrawal of forces from Iraq. But H.R. 744 would express grave 
concern that prolonged commitment of United States Armed Forces to Iraq 
may adversely affect the overall readiness of our military and hamper 
its ability to provide adequate resources to Operation Enduring Freedom 
in Afghanistan and to other contingencies around the world. Lastly, 
H.R. 744 does not dictate to the President the terms of completion for 
the mission in Iraq.
  The war in Iraq is approaching its fourth year. The year 2007 will be 
perhaps the most challenging and critical year to date for Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. The 110th Congress, which was recently elected, will be 
the third consecutive Congress responsible for providing oversight of 
this war. Recent commentary notes Congress's record of oversight of 
Iraq is not one with which we should be satisfied. Our oversight of 
Iraq must be improved, and soon.

  We are leaders with the responsibility, authority, and ability to 
act. We are leaders whose actions or inactions will have impacts--
either positive or negative--that will span not only two-year election 
cycles, but also decades and possibly generations. We are leaders who 
history will judge not just by the power of our words, but also by the 
wisdom and courage of our actions. The seriousness of the situation in 
Iraq should compel this body to place a renewed emphasis on 
revitalizing United States-Iraq policy and enhancing Congressional 
oversight of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Support for H.R. 744 will go far 
toward achieving these objectives.
  H.R. 744 recognizes the complex and interdependent nature of the 
challenges Coalition forces, civilian personnel and the Government of 
Iraq face today. That is, each level of government in Iraq--national, 
national capital city, regional, provincial, provincial capital, and 
municipal--experiences both shared and unique, and both isolated and 
interrelated political, economic, security, infrastructure, and 
governance capacity development challenges. The fact that, in some 
cases, difficult, contentious, or inefficient relationships between the 
central government in Baghdad and the regional and various provincial 
governments exist adds an additional level of complexity to 
establishing good and effective governance in Iraq. Iraq also is home 
to individuals of various ethnicities--such as Arabs, Kurds, Turcoman, 
Assyrians, and others--who ascribe to various religions--such as Sunni 
or Shia Islam, Christianity, Yezidi, and others--and who speak a 
variety of languages--such as Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian, and Armenian. 
Some of Iraq's provinces are largely homogenous, such as Erbil, 
Sulaymaniyah, Basra, or Anbar. Others contain a combination of 
demographic groups such as Kirkuk, Nineweh and Babil. Still others, 
such as Baghdad, contain a mix of all of the groups. This ethnic, 
religious, and cultural variety creates complex political, economic, 
security, governance, and social challenges on the ground in Iraq. And 
it is within these levels of government in Iraq, in these cities and 
communities and among these diverse ethnic groups, and against these 
political, economic, security, governance, and social complexities and 
challenges that our servicemembers and civilian personnel serving in 
Iraq work to develop that country politically, economically, and 
infrastructure and security-wise, as well as work to build governance 
capacity at each of the levels of government in Iraq. Their mission is 
a difficult, varied, and complicated one. It is one that is vastly more 
complicated and complex than recent congressional debate and 
congressional oversight efforts would reveal. And both must be brought 
more into line with the realities that our personnel on the ground in 
Iraq face daily.
  It is not within our capacity to solve all of Iraq's problems, nor is 
solving all of them necessary to honorably and expeditiously complete 
the mission in Iraq and to bring our troops home. Solving the key 
problems, however, is essential to completing the mission in Iraq. H.R. 
744 would require the President to identify specifically which problems 
at and between each level of governance in Iraq and among the various 
pillars of our activities there are necessary and possible for us to 
solve in order to complete Operation Iraqi Freedom. The bill also would 
require the President to identify the programs, projects and activities 
utilized to achieve these vital measures and other benchmarks. 
Moreover, H.R. 744 would require the President to provide regular, 
consolidated and comprehensive reporting to Congress on the progress 
toward achieving these benchmarks. But while requiring this specific 
information H.R. 744 also provides the President flexibility to adjust 
or modify the benchmarks should events on the ground necessitate that 
such adjustments or modifications be made. Under the provisions of H.R. 
744, however, the President would be required to provide detailed 
justification material to Congress to support adjustments or 
modifications made to the benchmarks.

  As I noted in my introductory statement for H.R. 5630 in the 109th 
Congress, three legislative initiatives of the immediate previous 
Congress have required reports along these lines. These reports, 
provided to Congress by the Secretary of Defense, contain useful 
information. But, when taken together, the requirements and the content 
of these reports may not be sufficient for this Congress to fully 
exercise its oversight responsibilities pertaining to this war. A 
single report to provide a clear and full account of what is necessary 
and possible for the United States to achieve in Iraq--at the various 
levels of government within Iraq; what the United States Armed Forces 
and civilian personnel are tasked with in order to achieve those 
objectives; and where they are in the process of achieving them, would 
go far toward ensuring Congress has the information it needs to best 
fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities. H.R. 744 would consolidate 
the existing reporting requirements into a single reporting requirement 
of this nature.
  The setting of benchmarks is not an easy task to accomplish. But it 
is one that must be accomplished. The setting of benchmarks alone, 
however, is not enough. Programs and projects must be implemented to 
achieve them. H.R. 744 would require the President to use these 
benchmarks as the foundation for a multilateral agreement to further 
provide for the completion of Operation Iraqi Freedom. An international 
agreement of this kind is needed because some of Iraq's key problems 
are undeniably international in nature; and they become more so--not 
less so--as each day passes.
  An international agreement as urged by section five of this Act will 
help bring renewed focus to and enhanced international cooperation 
toward resolving Iraq's problems. Second, it will help reaffirm the 
existence of a united front against elements that seek to destabilize 
Iraq, and thus bring added pressure to bear on those actors. Third, 
this agreement would provide for the formation of a forum in which 
current and future regional security, political, and economic issues 
regarding Iraq's continued development can be discussed and addressed. 
The establishment and maintenance of conciliatory relations between 
Iraq, its neighbors, regional states and the international community is 
essential to stabilizing Iraq internally. The agreement called for by 
this legislative proposal, if successful, could be

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utilized and expanded to form the foundation--or beginnings--of a 
lasting regional security arrangement. H.R. 744 would require the 
President to report regularly on the progress toward implementing such 
an agreement.
  As I noted in my introductory statement for H.R. 5630 in the 109th 
Congress, I am a member of the Committee on Armed Services and I have 
traveled to Iraq eight times since taking office in 2003. These trips 
have allowed me to observe our operations in Iraq and to personally 
speak with our commanders, servicemembers, and civilian personnel in 
the field. I have also had the opportunity to speak with Iraqi leaders 
during these visits. As a result, I have learned a great deal about the 
accomplishments made in Iraq to date. I have also learned of the many 
challenges that remain there. This legislation would provide us the 
information we need to make better informed decisions on policy with 
regard to Iraq.

  I believe that an honest and open exchange of views on the substance 
of what our country and our allies must achieve in Iraq in order to 
complete Operation Iraq Freedom is needed. I also believe that our 
service in this body is never more consequential than it is when our 
troops are in harm's way. Debate regarding issues of war and peace 
deserve sober reflection, reasoned thinking, critical focus, and 
balanced perspective. Having this debate and conducting oversight in 
this manner is an institutional responsibility for the House of 
Representatives. But it also is a personal responsibility for each of 
us as representatives of our constituents. The continued sacrifices 
made by our military and civilian personnel serving in support of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, those made by Coalition personnel, and those 
made by Iraqi patriots only further reinforce the need to elevate our 
discussion on the merits of and the challenges associated with what 
remains of the mission in Iraq.
  I do not have the privilege of a full vote on the floor of the House 
of Representatives. And I represent American citizens serving in the 
United States Armed Forces who, because they are residents of Guam, 
cannot vote for their Commander-in Chief. Introducing legislation to 
revitalize Iraq policy and enhance Congressional oversight of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom represents a good faith effort on my part to fulfill my 
obligation to serve those who are serving us in defense of our 
freedoms.
  Finding an achievable, expeditious, and honorable way to complete 
Operation Iraqi Freedom should be a primary goal for all of us. We owe 
this to those who have sacrificed so much for this mission. But the 
situation in Iraq will not yield a solution easily. Nevertheless, we 
must endeavor to find one. In doing so we will be helping shape in the 
best way possible the legacy future generations of Americans will 
inherit and the one we will have to defend to history. I am confident 
that the provisions of H.R. 744 will help toward achieving these ends. 
I respectfully request that my colleagues review and consider the 
provisions of this legislative proposal.