[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   FAILURE OF CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that in 5 minutes, the 
House Committee on International Relations is going to have a hearing 
about the post-Iraq situation. Since there are only 48 days left until 
the transfer of power, it is about time. Sadly, it is about 2 years 
late. It is an example of the sorry declining of congressional 
oversight and leadership of what was supposed to be a co-equal branch 
of government. The abuse of Iraqis never convicted of anything is just 
the latest example of that failure.
  While some would claim that asking hard questions is an example of 
lack of support for our troops, the real lack of support for our troops 
is not giving them adequate water, and food, proper equipment, to say 
nothing of the relief of adequate support for troops on the ground and 
relief to rotate them home.
  To the shame of this congressional leadership, we have failed to do 
our job as congressional watchdogs and policymakers. It has created 
problems for our troops in Iraq, it has created problems for the Iraqi 
people, and for the American public.

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